


Project Reaver

by NightWalker83, SpiritGazer



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, My First AO3 Post, My First Work in This Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-18
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-17 17:39:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 38,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2317829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWalker83/pseuds/NightWalker83, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritGazer/pseuds/SpiritGazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Present day, centered around Detroit. 6 Teenagers are all contacted by someone known as "The Stranger", and called to a downtown factory. Little do they realize the job they are about to take on, or the way the world will change around them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When the lights go out. . .

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DanDreiberg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanDreiberg/gifts), [NightWalker83](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWalker83/gifts), [ClockworkStoryteller](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkStoryteller/gifts), [YangWinchestette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/YangWinchestette/gifts).



> Thanks to my beta Nightwalker83, mistakes are all her fault.

It was a cold night tonight. His little one floor, four room house seemed empty. More so than just a lack of furniture. The bedroom had a small chest of drawers; it was just enough for his small wardrobe. There was not even a real bed yet, just a daybed. The bathroom had a small shower, toilet, and a sink. There was hardly room for his toothbrush and soap bottle; with no cabinets, everything sat on the tiny vanity. The kitchen/dining room was similarly temporary. A folded up card table served as the dinner table when there was company, an oven was built into the counter without a working stove top. The most functional piece was the microwave. The freezer portion of the fridge worked, but only barely. The living room had a few folding chairs, a radio/cd player, and a window. Most of the house was lit by lamps, but the kitchen had a ceiling light. The bedroom didn't even have a window. But it was the existence he choose for his current life.

"Oh, Edwin what have you gotten yourself into now?" Little sister always chimed when she came in. While she wasn't actually his sister, Eloise was more of a sibling than his own real sister had ever been. One of the few people he still kept in contact with after his parents’ death, Eloise assisted Edwin while he was moving into the shabby little house.

“ _It was a fixer upper,”_ He told himself. He could afford it with the money from the inheritance, and a 9-5 McDonald’s job offsetting the cost; he could retire at the age of 55, and still have money left over to give away. "Well, my faucet stopped running. The pipes don't leak, and there is pressure coming in. If you open them up all that comes out as air pressure. Ever heard of that one Eloise?"

"Only from this P.O.S. you call a home."

"You know I'm just trying to be smart with money; when I finish school and get a better job then I'll move. This is what my job can pay for, and I'm trying to save my inheritance for emergencies." Eloise just gave him her usual look of _'when you finish school?'_ They both knew he wasn't going to finish school any time soon. He had to figure out a way to finish high school. It was the end of his junior year into senior year when the accident happened. His parents had been driving in upper Michigan on vacation, and had left him to his own devices for a few days. Nothing unusual until the police showed up the second day of their trip. They were near the cabin when a deer jumped out on the car. It landed on the windshield. The car swerved into a tree, sending both his parents into the broken windshield. He was told both died instantly. His blood sister took care of the funeral arrangements. The inheritance was divided up according to the will, and she took her share as an excuse to jump state with her family and move to California. It was a brighter place there than Detroit, and she needed a fresh start in a new place. He choose the homeward road. The house was sold, along with the cabin and all the other property, other than the cars. He got the little focus, and she got the Saturn. Edwin did manage to hold onto one other piece. His dad's bike, _Big Red_ , which was a Harley softail classic. He had taken lessons and everything, and got it adjusted for himself. Dad's favorite mechanic became a close friend after the accident. The so called "Road Dogs" were down a member, and this road puppy was in line to step up.

"What's up?" she asked from the doorway into the kitchen.

"Gas prices." he remarked in his Smart-Alec fashion.

"Not what I meant stubborn. I mean what's up with you lately?"

"Nothing."

"Bull, spill, unless you would rather have a baby sitter for the next 3 days."

"What about your school?"

"We have Friday off; there's no school because of teacher conferences in Ann Arbor."

“Well, you're going to just have to accept nothing as your answer and use your days off for something smarter than watching me to figure out what's up." Eloise laughed. Her trap worked.

"So something is up, you're just too much of a stubborn ass to tell." He started to turn red, the usual sign of her winning a mind game.

"Have you noticed anything weird lately? Lights flickering, radio static, electric shocks not hurting?" Eloise gave Edwin a quizzical look.

"Are you sure the city air isn't making you crazy?"

"I'm serious here. When I get tired the lights all seem to dim some. When I'm mad at something they seem brighter. One time I got pissed trying to fix the stove top, and the light I had hanging next to me exploded. Like total circuit overload. I took it into the store, it was only a week old, and they said they had no reports of problems. I was the first person to complain, and the circuitry looked fine other then it being fried. No tampering, no cross wires, no signs of overdrawing electricity."

"When were you going to tell me you had a light explode right next to you?"

"Eventually, but that's not the point. Weird stuff is happening around me, and it all involves electricity."

"That's it, I need to get you out of this house. You're going absolutely bonkers. And no wonder! You do the same routine day in, day out. Wake up, work, come home to more work, and sleep. Rinse and repeat."

“You forgot to mention eating in between work and coming home to do more work."

"Is that the only thing you eat?"

"Well I snack for part of the day. . ."

"That's it, you’re coming with me!" Eloise quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the house and into her truck.

"Is this a bad time to mention the nightmares?" Edwin sheepishly asked. He was already in trouble with little sister, and yet he decided to add fuel to the fire.

"The nightmares are back and you didn't tell me?!?!?!?"

"Well I was going to."

"When? After they ran their course? You remember what happened last time?" It had been a strange place to be. Edwin's dreams seem to possess his days. He saw flashes of light, and a cloaked figure standing there. Down an alley, in the other room, and when he slept. The stranger was about his height with the same build. It was almost like looking through a strange mirror, one that shrouded you in dark clothes and power. "You considered walking to this figure and talking to it. If you start acting loco, you know that the state's going to lock you up. Call it post-traumatic stress disorder or some other story."

"Yes, I know. I'm not crazy. I just have bad days."

"Days? Try weeks. You’re lucky I didn't have much homework or after school stuff, or I wouldn't have been there to watch you freak out every five minutes and calm you down again."

"Look, let’s just go somewhere. You’re stressing me out, and I think I see him in the rear view mirror sitting in the living room."

"I can't; the car won't start."

“What do you mean it won't start?" Edwin had a very bad feeling what the answer was going to be.

"It's like the battery is dead. It won't even turn over."

"See? I told you it's something weird with electrical."

"I just had the battery checked. It had like six months left. At least."


	2. "The Figure"

"I swear he was right here! Right in the living room, looking out the window!" Edwin cried out from frustration. 

"You need to drop the stranger in the shadows business. You’re pushing people away, and even I can't handle it much longer." Eloise remarked as calmly as she could. She still wasn't sure what was up with the truck, and hoped to find a more reasonable explanation then what Edwin proposed. What scared her is the way it lined up. It was a good battery, the odds of it being dead as a door nail were slim to none, and worst of all, she thought she saw a figure in the living room too. But now a mirror of Edwin. I looked like her, but similarly clothed to his description. "The lights don't work!" She suddenly cried out. The switch went up and down, but nothing. 

"Here, I got a few small lanterns, just in case." 

"Why not a flash light instead?" Eloise asked hesitantly. 

"They don't work either, already tried them." 

"What do you mean they don't work?" 

"Here, try it. Flick the switch, toggle it up and down, nothing works." 

"Oh, why did they have to be dead, I swear, if this is some practical joke of yours to go along with your story I'm going to shove this flash light so far up your. . ." 

"What, my eyes will glow? Look I got the candle lit, lets look around, check the fuse box. I got look at the power line to the house." 

"NO! YOU CHECK THE POWER LINE! YOU CHECK THE FUSE BOX! I'M STAYING HERE UNTIL YOU GIVE UP THIS WHOLE STORY AND FIX IT!" 

"Little sis, calm down." 

"No, I will not calm down. I will stay mad until you fix this, I try and try to help you, but you just make it more and more difficult. Now drop the joke and bring the power back on." 

"Eloise, calm down, look at the candle." 

"Why should I look at some stupid, what the?" Their jaws dropped as the candle lit the entire room. Then they noticed something. It slowly shrank down to normal size. "OK, now you have trick candles too?" 

"No, it's a normal candle, I never saw that before in my life." 

"Well whatever happened make it happen again, I'm getting cold. What's the temperature in the room? I'm freezing." 

"What are you talking about, it's like 70 in here." Neither had a chance to comment further, when the power came on, and the truck started on its own. 

"Well, looks like nothing in the house was wrong, as far as the electrical. Maybe it was some freak thing like solar flares or some such thing. . ." Eloise drifted off trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. "Edwin? Edwin where are you?" Eloise said as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. She froze as soon as her eyes made contact with the flaming gaze ahead. Edwin's eyes look in about the same location, a few inches up. Suddenly she realize what was happening. They were both staring into the same "mirror" self. His mirror to him, and her mirror to herself. 

"Hello, I am 'The Figure' of which you speak." The illusion spoke in a voice that sounded like a blend of Edwin and Eloise's.


	3. You want me to meet who?

            Eloise couldn't pick her jaw up off the ground. Big brother wasn't lying. 

"Remember when I said that if it could help, I would take some of your crazy and deal with it myself? This is not what I meant." She half chuckled, being that she couldn't come up with much of any other emotion right now. 

"I didn't ask for you to go crazy with me thank you very much." Edwin responded, partially dumbfounded himself. He saw this figure in the shadows, in a corner, far away, but never talking to him up close and personal. 

"’The Stranger' wishes for you to gather at a location in the city near here." Eloise, finally able to think a full thought, asked as calmly as her racing mind would allow 

"How can I see you? Like how is your, my, image appearing here?" The figure looked almost blank while responding, like it was human without feeling. 

"I am an image created by a small floating robot projecting into each individuals mind an image reminiscent of themselves. However, due to the nature of your recruitment, we needed something more eye catching then a person passing by that looked like you." Edwin became very interested all of a sudden. 

"What do you mean an image being projected? How does it work?" 

"Edwin, now is not the time for stupid questions for the killer robot that turned all the electricity off." 'The Figure' looked almost quizzical. 

"I didn't deactivate the electricity. As Mr. Edwin here has already attempted to elude to, he has some control over electrical energy. He shut it off in a panic." 

"You did what?!? You mean Edwin is the reason we got stuck here, in the dark, with a candle to light up a room?!?" 

"I didn't know! How could I know I caused it by being scared and stressed?" 

"Actually, Mr. Edwin here didn't know, nor could he have prevented this from occurring. HIs abilities still lie partially dormant. This is the reason they lie more in an emotional response then at will. 'The Stranger' hopes to help you and others learn how to use your abilities more controllably then causing a small candle to nearly burn down the house." Eloise and Edwin both looked very confused. 

"Wait, I thought you said Edwin controlled electricity, not fire." 

"I did make such a statement. You, however, Miss Eloise can control fire." Eloise fumbled for a minute. Fire? Well, it made sense. Always being cold, the way little flames always seemed to pull towards her. "Please enter the motor vehicle outside. 'The Stranger' wishes to meet all of you soon." 

"All of us?" Edwin replied confused. 'The figure gave what could only be a laugh of some sorts. 

"Well yes, you think two of you could make a whole team? Or for that matter, hope to have a rounded out display of skills?" Edwin and Eloise looked at each other for a second. Well, looks like this could turn into quite a little adventure. Eloise looked back at 'the figure' and asked. 

"Where is this 'Stranger' again?"


	4. 'The Stranger'

"How do you plan to get us there? You didn't even give us directions." Eloise asked the small floating light. 'The Figure' had dropped its illusionary persona as an attempt to calm the nerves of both Eloise and Edwin. The little robot, now floating at about eye level with Edwin, appeared as a large blue glow affixed within a complicated mesh of metal panels and wire, emitting the occasional whirr.

"I will be giving you turn by turn directions as you leave here. I believe the term you use is GPS."

"OH FUCK NO! I am not trusting some robot, in my head, giving me turn by turn instructions in the middle of the night. For all I know, you want to sell us off to the government and plan to lead us down some alley way where we will get jumped." Edwin came up with an interesting solution, along with an excuse to get some space to think, and a breath fresh air.

"How about this, you take Frankie, and I'll take big red? That way, if something shady does down, we are separated from each other, and harder to catch together."

"Fine, but you take lead, and the little robot can sit in your backpack talking to you in your mind." Eloise reluctantly agreed. First off, it was a wonder she was trusting the stupid little floating light bulb. Second, now she was agreeing to see this 'Stranger' for the first time. Third, Edwin seemed alright with this. He must have a few screws loose. Taking into account the supposed abilities he held within, maybe it's more appropriate to say he has a few wires crossed.

"Actually, I don't talk to you in your mind Miss Eloise, I have a discrete vocal devise inside of my shell." Eloise look on with a look of 'did it really just say that.'

"It’s still creepy to hear your voice, my voice, out of something that isn't me. Can't you emulate your own unique voice?" The little robot flashed for a moment, like its single large blue eye blinked, and then spoke out in a different voice.

"Is this more to your liking? I hope it doesn't offend you or remind you of anyone. I really am trying to make this as comfortable as possible." Edwin chuckled a little bit.

"Look, Tinker Bell, you have to realize that our world is being shifted dramatically right now. Not a lot can make this comfortable." The little robot floated for a second.

"Is that the designation you wish to assign me?" Edwin tilted his head.

"You mean is that what I want to call you?" "Yes." Edwin and Eloise laughed a little. Well it was a start. "Yes, I want you to go by Tinker Bell."

"In that case, I believe it would be appropriate to tell you both that our direction should be to turn towards the second star to the left, and head straight on until morning." Edwin and Eloise burst out laughing, and Tinker Bell just floated there looking at them with what could only be assumed to be the small robot's attempt at confused from their laughter. "If we could please start proceeding to the location, 'The Stranger is waiting there patiently." Eloise started to slow down her laughter as she responded

"Whatever you say Tink."

* * *

* * *

* * *

Edwin roared up to a shabby old factory building not too far from some of the original auto factories, long since shut down from age and/or economic distress. Eloise pulled up alongside him and Tinker Bell, who had floated out of the motorcycle’s saddle bag, in her ragtag mess of an old mid-90’s pickup, containing parts from junk yard trucks in several different colors from the truck’s original turquoise color.

“An old factory?” Eloise asked skeptically.

“Yes, fully renovated and sought to be a safe haven, practical training center, and center for planning and mission work.” The little robot chimed, floating towards the big steel doors.

“Whoa.” Edwin said as they walked in. They walked into a small, well lit hallway, looking nothing like the shabby safety hazard it looked like from the outside. Tinker Bell floated towards the doorway at the end of the hall, and the pair caught glimpses into other rooms. On the left there was first a room full of tables and chairs, a few machines that looked like coolers, and a stack of plates on a large counter, an adjoining room looked like a giant kitchen, like the one Eloise’s mother worked in.

“This place is huge.” She said quietly to Edwin. He nodded and looked to the rooms on his right, two big open areas with sofas and other doors, leading to what looked like bed rooms and bathrooms. They walked through the doorway Tink had originally been headed to, and entered a large open room with a dome-like ceiling. There were wires running everywhere in the circular space; especially running up and into the legs of a large glass table that was wider than Eloise was tall. Over the table, but back a little was a steel catwalk that overlooked the space. A lone man stood upon the catwalk, an office looking room connecting to the catwalk on the right. About six foot tall, wearing a very official outfit, he look ready for any high ranking job. Manager, CEO.

“ _He could pass for the president if I didn’t know better_ ” Edwin thought to himself. The dark hair and brown eyes showed an intrigued air that surpassed mild curiosity. His stance suggested being used to power, but not abusive of position. On their level Edwin noted a room that was full of targets below that office space, it too was huge, and looked to be ready for lots of wear and tear. On the opposite side of the room was a large garage door rolled open to show a room with an identical door rolled down and medical equipment set up in a skilled and organized fashion. The figure on the catwalk cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the pair. Tinker Bell floated up to him. He was well-dressed, in a dark suit, dark shirt, black silk tie, a gold watch, and very expensive looking socks and shoes.

“Welcome. I trust you have found the current facility acceptable to any standards you may have in regards to functionality?” ‘The Stranger’ asked in a voice equally full of presence as his stature.

“Well, you could use a slightly less unsettling recruitment plan, but other than that. . .” Edwin trailed off still in amazement at the whole building.

“Yes well Tinker Bell, as you have taken to calling her, is still a prototype. One of a kind in both idea and technology. I can understand the hesitation, but rest assured, she is the strangest part of this whole arrangement that I will be bringing. As you can imagine, it would unsettle many people who were unfamiliar with this level of technology. The control frame next to me contains all of her information and is constantly readjusting to become more relatable.” ‘The Stranger’ attempted to inform, and calm, the obviously nerves pair in front of him.

“Yes, well, I think we are unique cases of paranoid.” Eloise stuttered trying to make the situation more light hearted.

“I hope you will learn to adjust. Perhaps having you all her will help, and this makes good timing. The other two guest have arrived.” ‘The Stranger’ voiced as the large door in the back of the room opened up.


	5. My name is. . .

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man, of wealth and taste." First words out of the mouth of a short, dark haired stranger coming in the door. He had on a full black ensemble that would make rock concert goers proud. Jean, tee shirt, overcoat with the hood on. Gloves, riding boots, and even a bandana hung in down on the new comers chin.

"Glad you could make it to the meeting Reginald." 'The Stranger' chimed in tune with the performance.

"I prefer Reggie thank you. But other than that good job staying in tune." Edwin and Eloise gave each other a chuckle. The six people involved, so they were told, all possessed some sort of ability.

"Perhaps his power is to annoy everyone in the room the moment he walks in?" Eloise whispered to Edwin trying to contain her laughter. Behind Reggie was a tall, light blond haired girl with simple glasses. A rather interesting follow up to the loud and proud peacock that just strutted in, it almost seemed like the last member to walk in wanted to avoid being mentioned, seen, or even be here.

"Glad you chose to come here Alice. I know how reluctant you were about this all, so I wanted to give you the upmost confidence in this meeting here." Edwin decided it was his turn to joke.

"Well if his ability is to stand out, hers is to blend into the wall." Eloise smacked Edwin across the back of the head.

"Never disrespect a lady." Eloise remarked.

"So I thought you said there were six of us, I count four right now." Edwin questioned 'The Stranger'.

"Well, the last two have to be convinced to join us. And they both said the only way to do that was to gather enough people to prove a point." 'The Stranger' said in an almost asking voice.

"So, we came all the way here, to find out we have to go out at 3 A.M. to convince someone that our little "club" is a thing?" Reggie said in an almost slightly less annoying manner.

"Well you of all people understand what protection hiding in the dark can offer. Perhaps that should be our first step, introducing everyone properly and aiding you in getting a grip on both the situation, and your capabilities." 'The Stranger remarked courteously.

"Shall I lead them to the dormitories for a moment sir, allow them to set up their living arraignments and lead them back here for a proper meeting?" Tinker Bell requested.

"Feel free. And please, make yourselves comfortable. Both with this space, and with each other. You’re going to have to learn to get along if we ever hope to get this group going.

 

 

Inside the dorms, things became a little more real for Edwin. There were bathrooms for each person living in the space, along with real beds.

"Been awhile since I slept on one of these." Edwin said as a relaxed look came over him. Sleep was not a common friend ever since the accident. The old house seemed cold, empty, and lonely all by himself. The bed at the city house, if it could be considered that, felt like it came from prison.

"I have decided that our conversations would best be carried out in a few days. Take this opportunity to rest up, and try to practice your powers. Perhaps knowledge of your abilities will help them surface to a more controllable feeling." 'The Strangers voice cut out on what Edwin could only assume was an intercom somewhere in the room.

"Tinker Bell, what if our 'practicing gets us fried?" Edwin asked out of concern. "It is funny you should ask that Mr. Edwin."

"Please, drop the Mr. It's just Edwin."

"Yes well, Edwin, we have done a little research into that question. Our result may interest you. Due to your body’s abnormal capabilities, you seem to also possess above human resistances to certain things. For example, being in control of electricity, something both deadly by nerve damage and extreme temperature, your body seems to have an incredibly high tolerance to both. To put it simply, your body seems to be made to be both a natural conductor, and a heat sync." Tinker Bells explanations always had a way of making Edwin more confused than answered, but he believed he understood the idea. It made sense. The electric shocks. The light bulb exploding. Why didn't any of it hurt him? Now he knew why. Reggie just laughed. He apparently didn't need to worry about being hurt by whatever it was he could do. Which still hadn't been explained fully.

"What is it you can do?" Edwin finally asked, finding no other way to make conversation.

"I'm an excellent hider, when I want to be. And things seem to poof away, and come back in strange places." Reggie responded with a devious grin on his face. "I have to see it coming, and I have to make my holes big enough to catch it all, but once the hard parts done, it can be fun to see the end result." As if to make it a game, Reggie stood up, waked into a dark corner on the room, and disappeared. No trace, no sign, not even the sound of breathing. Then he stepped out. Grabbing a quarter, he made a small motion in his finger, like he was tearing away the air in the shadow. Suddenly Edwin felt a cold plunk land on his neck. Out from behind him, from his own shadow casted on the wall, the quarter flung out at his neck.

"’The Stranger' has taken up calling it shadow location. I can recreate the shadow of an object from other shadows, and the real thing goes with it."

 

 

Eloise and Alice made themselves at home much faster than the boys did. In minutes they found out that they both love books, both tend to be outside the "it" crowed, and most importantly, neither was interested in the boys that were here.

"Well, now that we don't have to fight about that, life should be easy." Eloise laughed as she imagined what a fight would look like amongst people with so much potential.

"Hope this place is fire proofed, in case I get mad at something, or someone."

"I'm certain that many precautions have been taken to ensure our safety." Alice stated with a bit of hesitation in her voice. "So you have pyromancy?" She continued, still a little scared.

"Yes, I guess. I'm still trying to learn it myself." Eloise admitted. The past day was the first time she experienced her full control over fire. The small little candle, growing into a flame ready to singe the roof, startled even her.

"What tricks are up your sleeve?" She questioned worried that she was about to regret asking. Alice seemed to stop for a second. As if she wasn't sure how to answer. She sat still for a second, breathing very rhythmically, very slowly. Suddenly Eloise noticed the room was a little brighter, and in front of Alice seemed to be a small ball of light, coalescing into what she could only surmise was an apple.

"I seem to be able to collect photons into a dense shape, and move it with my mind." Alice stated as the apple floated there. In a few seconds it burst into a flash, and was gone.

"Can someone hold it or touch it while you make it?" Eloise asked, now less concerned with her roommates abilities.

"Yes, but I wouldn't suggest it. Most people seem to feel a lot of pain from it. It is essentially a ball of energy." Alice stated, seeming to feel almost special. "I can hold them, and often times like to make things just to play with it. Juggle little light balls. And I don't miss, because I just fix its path with my mind." Eloise smiled at that, picturing this wall flower waving around bright lights in a complicated pattern.

"The power to most of the facility is getting ready to shut down. I like to turn off the building around 11:00 most nights, for your future reference. The hall way, meeting room, and dorms will keep power, but the training, kitchen, mess hall, and other auxiliary rooms will go dark. I suggest you try to get some sleep now." 'The Strangers' voiced, once again over that invisible intercom.

"Hey, Tinker Bell, can we go in the other dorm rooms? Even late at night?" Eloise asked, preferring to sleep in the same room as big brother for the night. She trusted Alice, but didn't like the thought of being separated by two walls and possible lock on the doors.

"Yes, Eloise, you may sleep in any of the dorm rooms you like." She breathed a sigh of relief. One more good thing to not worry about right now. Being forcibly separated from the people she trusted. As the girls waked in, they already noticed the boys getting along. Edwin was making small sparks of lightning in his fingers, and he seemed to be trying to hold it out as long as possible. Reggie seemed to be dropping a coin, just to catch it above him again?

"Looks like Edwin has some explaining to do." Eloise told Alice. Just for fun, she focused on her right hand. Just above her pointer finger. To her amusement, a small little ember sparked and grew into a sizeable flame. This could be interesting Eloise thought to herself. But lets save the fun till training.


	6. Who's playing target practice again?

"Ready on the range. Range is hot." Edwin called out. It was day two at the factory, and everyone had settled in fairly well. As well as could be expected to have your whole life uprooted in the span of 24 hours. Eloise had already decorated her part of the room, as well as part of Edwin's area, with posters, music CDs, a large stereo system, and of course bass for down time. Practice was in full swing. 'The Stranger' was right on when saying that knowing what you can do helps you open up faster. In no time, Edwin was firing off little bolts of lightning, Eloise could form a respectable fire ball and throw it with decent accuracy, Alice was learning more complex shapes and how to move them, and Reggie was learning how to build some momentum up for his new knives. Edwin seemed to be the most accurate of the group, being that he could peg a target from 200 yards and hit right on the center target, and the head. In one shot. Eloise got to have a little more fun.

"Who needs to be accurate when you just set the sucker on fire, and his friends?" She chuckled as she tossed one down range and caught three test dummies on fire with one small charge. Alice had a different kind of practice. Tinker Bell was walking around in a knightly hologram on the test floor, and Alice was learning sword play. But instead of real swords, she wielded light shaped into a sword. And while she did hold them sometimes, she was trying to learn patterns of movement with her mind. Hence, while Tinker Bell was her target smarty. She needed a target that could react and try to counter. Reggie needed less accuracy and more finesse to his skills.

"The trick is not getting the blade in the right spot, it's finding the right shadow to use." He was quickly learning to use shadows that may normally elude most people’s thoughts. Feet were becoming a favorite of his, as was a person’s personal shadow on the wall or ground. "I have one advantage. I can make it come out of a shadow at any angle, I just need the force going in the first to give it the momentum to go out and up the second." He explained to Eloise who was quickly trying to find a way to give everyone a challenge.

"Hit this target without killing the hostage." She tried on Edwin once. He made it a very simple task. Not only could he conduct electricity out from his own body, he could temporarily use electrical systems around him. Wires, light bulbs, TV screens. Only enough for one or two people, then the systems would break the circuit and lose all power. But it was enough for him.

"See, what you’re thinking, is that it will be hard for me to not hit the hostage with a bolt. You fail to see the real trick. How do you hit the target, without electrocuting the hostage in the process?" Edwin chuckled as he considered the challenge. Eloise decided to make him put his money where his mouth was.

"OK. Give me a sec." She pulled out one of Edwin's targets. The test dummies were designed to take a shock, distribute it like a body would, and remain intact. A sensor log would tell him how he did with each hit. Eloise set one up with a pistol in hand, arms wrapped around, and trapped in the hostage position. Edwin started to sweat a little.

"You’re going to make me take a shot at you, aren't you?" Eloise just looked at him, confidence in her eyes.

"Come on big brother, what if you need to save me? You better know how."

"I guess I should learn soon, because I have a feeling you guys are going to need my rescue a lot." Edwin shouted back with a tone of falling confidence in his voice. He was trying to make a joke of the situation when all he could assume is how he could mess up. Alice and Reggie showed up, and right away understood what was going on. They both quietly looked at Edwin with an expression of _'Don't make me wait any longer_.' on their faces. Now or never Edwin thought to himself. Then the solution dawned on him. "We both get to practice little sister. When I say go jump out of the guys reach. I'll explain when I'm done. Just hit the ground fast and get away from the body." Edwin stood pacing back and forth like the dummy actually was a person watching him. He took his moment, pointed fast and hit the dummy right in the shoulder and upper arm area. Not enough for a kill, but he didn't want it too. Eloise gave a yelp as she dropped to the ground, feeling the residual sting from the shot, Edwin took a fast step forward and fired off two more jolts. One in the heart, one in the head. The dummy test sensor read exactly what he wanted. His arm shot would cause temporary paralysis, making the arm unable to fire or hold Eloise in. The second and third were the kill shots.

"I said don't hit the hostage." Eloise shouted out rubbing her arm where the electrical pulse shocked her.

"No, you said don't kill the hostage. Are you dead?" Edwin replied with a new found confidence. His attention to biology was starting to pay off. Eloise shot him a look of " _You so did not just prove me wrong._ " as Alice and Reggie laughed and applauded. The intercom crackled to life and 'The Stranger's' voice came through.

"Now that you have all had some time to rest and practice a bit, our last two guest are expecting us soon to come find them. You will be going out in the morning to pick them up. I suggest you figure out how you plan to roam around the city. All of you in one car does not sound like a smart idea to me. Tinker Bell will direct you in the morning." The intercom crackled again and then died.

"Looks like Big Red and I get to take a short jog tomorrow." Edwin said with excitement.

"Well if you’re taking the bike, you’re taking me with." Eloise stated not ready to have to drive everyone around. She was getting to like the new people, but still needed to get used to so many people, and the truck would not cut it for them all to pile in.

"Let's talk it over in the morning, and on a full stomach." Reggie replied, not wanting to watch the sibling rivalry break out between the two. Everyone set off to the dorms for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a new day, with a two new comers. And a whole lot of surprises for sure.


	7. Death's Grim Face

"Alright. So, Eloise and I are riding big red. Alice is riding with Reggie to pick up her van and from there we plan to meet our new friends." What Eloise didn't know, until this morning, is Reggie drove up in a black, two seat, convertible Thunder Bird.

"Where is Tinker Bell going? Don't we need her to help put the next guy at ease?" Eloise asked. Edwin, Alice, and Reggie already knew the answer. Eloise's ability to accept the answer was a different story. "You want me to keep him in my bag?" Eloise cried out defiantly. "Why do I have to have the robot that's going to yap in my ear the whole trip?"

"Actually, I do not yap like a dog. But if you wish for me to make dog like noises I can attempt to simulate them to the best of my ability." Tinker Bell stated in a serious tone. That helped calm everyone down as they all started laughing, including 'The Stranger' high up in his catwalk perch. Eloise looked at the small blue light and gave a small grin.

"Maybe it won't be quite so bad."

“Now that riding arrangement are settled, your first new comer is named Damien. In his neighborhood, however, he goes by Grim Reaper. You will see why soon." 'The Stranger' informed the group. Everyone prepared to head out. Edwin grabbed his riding gear from when they first showed up, Eloise grabbed a jacket from the cloths that were brought from home. 'The Stranger took care of all the arraignments. Explaining that she was selected to join a prestigious boarding school, Edwin was going to be there, and everything was being paid for. Good byes were made, and she packed up most of her wardrobe and some bed room furniture from the house. Edwin's was much simpler. No parents to explain to, everything was already boxed up, and no real ties to anyone in the area. His life was much different after his parents died. He wasn't exactly social before, but he shut down tight after the accident. He only spoke sparingly. Mostly to avoid subjects like how he was doing, if he was ok, what was going on in his life? Eloise was the only person who he talked to during that period. After the funeral he went a week just clammed up. He never left the house, he hardly ate anything. It was during the end of summer, and Eloise had practically moved in for a time. Her suitcase was in the bedroom of the old house. He couldn't stand being confined to a room. He slept out in the living room, tossing about on the couch in his nightmares. Eloise didn't tell him, but he had woken her up a few times with his nightmares. She came out saying she wanted a glass of water, but in truth she wanted to make sure he hadn't hurt himself with all the flailing about. Then he moved out, the house was sold, and he seemed to open a little. The new house, the fixer upper P.O.S. he lived in now gave him something to do. But here, he really opened up. New start, new people, new life. She was proud of him. Growing out of the shell in just a few short days. She was told the same story got passed on to Reggie and Alice's parents. Neither seemed very surprised. Alice was a genius, and Reggie was usually invited to special schools for unique interest such as theatrical or music. From the sounds of it, the next two weren't going to take an explanation. Neither lived with anyone, nor in a real house at all. They were both street kids. Growing up with what skills they had, as was part of how they were found by 'The Stranger' and Tinker Bell.

"Well, shall we?" Edwin asked the group. Everyone gave him a thumbs up and he fired up the engine. The familiar put put put purr of the bike seemed to open up a different side of Edwin. This was his freedom. This was his escape. She had seen him on rides, following in the truck when he took an occasional vacation to a city for a bike event. The open air did him some good. "Let’s ride!" Edwin called out over the roar of the bike as he revved the engine.

"This should be the place. Let's see who is inside." Tinker Bell Floated by after coming out of Eloise's bag. Everyone started walking in when they realized why 'The Stranger' said it would be obvious. Dead plants were all over the place. They seem withered, as if by an unnatural force, faster than just age.

"Whoever managed this certainly would concern me." Edwin piped in with a concerned voice. Everyone started to feel a little scared.

"How do you think he does it?" Reggie finally let out in a hushed voice. Then, the answer was right in front of them. A single figure stood in the room by a flower. It was a red rose, blooming like a single life in the decay. He eyed everyone over, like they were less than he expected. He stood about the same height at Edwin, maybe a tad shorter. His dark, almost ebony hair hung down by his strikingly blue eyes, almost like a shade to cover them up. His torn up black jeans and hoodie suggested a darker disposition, and his stance was defensive to the point of being cornered.

"You want to see how? I'll show you." The dark figure, most assumedly Damien, let out in a harsh, almost hostile tone. He reached over with his hand, took a black glove off to reveal a pale white hand. He then touched the flower and seemed to pause for a second. Then they group noticed. The red seemed to fade like jeans run in the wash too many times. In a few seconds, it was black, partially shriveled, and dead. "I am Grim Reaper. But I suppose you know my real name." He stated like he didn't want people to know who he was.

"The Stranger' told us who you are. I suppose you already met Tinker Bell." Edwin tried to sound as kind and open as possible. He was already trying to consider how to take down someone of this power. Would he even be effected? He hoped to not need to find out.

"So the four arrive. I guess just in time. I was considering skipping town and trying to get away from the whole death persona. But an excuse to accept it and use it sounds much better." Damien seemed excited at the prospect of taking on death incarnate as a job. "So, what's this rag tag team of barley old enough to drive group called?"

"Well, we don't have a name yet." Eloise spoke up. "But five people could come up with something better than four." Damien seemed to laugh to himself.

"I suppose I'll join. But one condition. We are not having a slogan, a cheer, or a group rally call. We aren't power rangers for Pete's sake." Everyone laughed a little, and promised to not do that.

"Well, now it's five, ready to go get six?" Edwin look at the group. Sure it was rag tag, but it was something.


	8. Drowned in the fear of the world

"So, what's next?" Damien asked very impatiently.

"We have one more member to pick up." Eloise filled him in while riding arrangements were being made. Eloise decided she didn't want Tinker Bell sitting in her bag again, and Alice was not sure about the next part of town.

"I don't drive around most parts of town, I was lucky I could follow around here. I don't see me doing too well driving for the time being. Just a nervous issue." It was one of the many quirks the team was trying to work out together.

"Well, if Eloise takes your van, I got an open seat on the bike, but you'll have to hold Tink for a while." Edwin chuckled, thinking the offer of a loud, fast, rumbling motorcycle would scare Alice into driving again.

"OK." Alice said seriously as Edwin looked over at Eloise with disbelief. Her smiling face told him he got himself into this one.

"Well, glad to see the whole plan is figured out." Reggie smiled, being left alone in his car to drive however he wanted. Eloise and Damien jumped in the van. Alice, now wearing Eloise's coat and helmet, hoped on behind Edwin on the bike before he started it up. Reggie loaded in the T-Bird, and Tinker Bell nestled in Alice's bag. Leading the pack, Edwin roared off down the road. With light fading, he expected to reach the complex they were heading to around sun set.

* * *

 

"This street looks really run down." Alice commented over the roar of the bike. She had begun learning when to talk and when to keep quite. Timing a conversation with the bike's revving and winding down was becoming rhythmic.

"It's the kind of street I've been living on for about a year now. You learn to get past the way the city looks and hope for what it was, what it should be again." Edwin said looking over his shoulder to turn. It was different, hearing stories about the city in its prime, the fame, and the fall to what it was now.

"It's exactly what makes people scared. Why we need each other. Alone, the world calls up freaks, and in a city like Detroit, we could just as easily be hunted as another source of blight or terror. Maybe together, we will be more. Be left alone, or even better, respected. Asked for help." Alice optimistically thought aloud. Edwin tried to hold optimism, at the very least, he tried to hide the cynical face from everyone. He started to think towards important decision coming up. After the last member was brought on, how would the group work? They needed a leader, and 'The Stranger' was not going to be there in the field actively. They needed someone on the ground, in the thick of it to take charge. Maybe little sister, she has the voice and the presence. Perhaps Alice. She had the smarts, maybe a little less street smart, but she had the tactical knowledge, at least what you get from reading. Reggie had the charisma, the energy, and street knowledge. Damien was the most interesting to wonder if he could lead. He learned how to support himself on the street. What would he do with 5 other lives in his hands? He seemed to have the guts to make tough calls. And who knows what the last person would add to the team, the kind of personality they would bring in. Edwin just kept quiet, the motor screeching out as he realized how tight Alice seemed to be holding on. He looked down and figured out why. He had been blaring down the road at 50 and didn't think about it. Eloise and Reggie kept up, but they seemed confused. He just instinctively heard Tinker Bell and followed everything to a T without processing it. Soon they rolled up on the place. An old cathedral, abandoned long ago. The building still had all its walls, and most of the stain glass.

* * *

 

Inside they team saw just how intact the building really was. The benches were still inside, and a total lack of graffiti left everyone speechless. It was like someone moved in here and kept all the trouble makers out. As everyone wandered in, they had a strange feeling. Like a set of eyes was watching from up above them. Edwin decided to try to lighten the mood.

"Anyone else feel like the big man upstairs is watching, or is it just me getting Holy Spirit bumps?" No one laughed, and Edwin decided to keep his mouth shut for now. Then everyone paused when they heard it.

"Stop where you are. I will give you one warning to leave now and not return. This place is my home, and you will not ruin it for me." Tinker Bell took this as a chance to fly out of Alice's bag.

"Please don't harm us. These are the people I told you about." Suddenly an image of a woman showed up. Tinker Bell was trying to prove who she was to the stranger, and gave the group an idea of the person they were up against. As long as Tink gave the right image, she was a little more than five foot. Blond hair, about shoulder length. Her small frame suggested a lack of eating lately, and the sunk in eyes told a dark story trying to be told. Edwin looked at Eloise, knowing the two of them could find where the girl was. They quietly signaled to the others to be quite and let them look around, listen around.

"Like hide and seek back at the church." Edwin whispered to Eloise as they split up. They both went to the same large church. The echo was part of how they tried to trick each other while it was empty. Both had developed an ear to listen and figure out where something was coming from. As the pair started to wander, they realized how open they were. The balcony upstairs gave an excellent vantage point, as did the alter walls. Edwin kept going forward while Eloise doubled back, to head upstairs. Edwin signaled for Tinker Bell to try to keep talking again.

"Please, come where we can see you. We just want to talk." Trying to be calming and friendly.

"No. You want to lock me up. Make fun of me. Take me somewhere I won't be happy. I won't have it." Tinker Bell dropped her disguise and floated away quickly, which everyone took as a sign to do the same. Edwin ducked behind a few pews, and Eloise hid behind the staircase. Time to find out what she can do Edwin thought to himself. Suddenly a torrent of water splashed down the center aisle. Edwin and Eloise both realized right away where it looked like it came from.

“The rafters.” Edwin mouthed to Eloise, who nodded in agreement. So, hydromancy? Edwin came up with a plan. It would be risky, but do able. He reached out a bit, feeling for something to conduct. He had begun sensing things like wires, electrical currents, and the like. A few light bulbs left, just what he needed. He called over to Reggie, who gave him a confused look. Reggie made his way over to Edwin, with the occasional torrent raining down in the church, scaring everyone.

"Reggie, can you move anything with shadows?" Edwin asked urgently.

"No, I can't move anything that is alive, but I can move water if that's what you need." Edwin smiled, and had an idea.

"Alright, I need you to stick with me. I'm going to provide a distraction, and I need you to make a tear big enough to take those torrents." Reggie looked at him like he was crazy, but decided Edwin had the only plan. Both got ready to sneak out, and signaled the others to stay back. Then, the plan went in motion. Edwin lit the light bulbs near the front alter just enough to brighten the room. This did the trick and attracted the next torrent of water. Edwin and Reggie quickly moved under the rafters, and Edwin lit another set of light bulbs. This time the church stairs. The water started gushing out and nearly took out the light. Then the master stroke. "Now!" Edwin cried out. Reggie made his tear right above their heads and held it there, staring right at the dark mass only he could see. Edwin lit up as much of the room as he could with the lights. Up in the rafters stood the figure. Looking down at him with a look of defensive rage, she sent out a torrent straight down on them. Edwin stared defiantly into the blast. What the woman didn't know, is the shadow being cast right above her from the light was about to be her down fall, literally.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Came the scream as the figure feel down towards the ground. Damien and Edwin jumped out to catch the frail figure. As Edwin jumped up on the pew, Damien prepared to balance Edwin's decent.

"Got you." Edwin and Damien both called out as she landed in their arms. Drenched in water, and obviously tired, she just looked up at them both like she accepted her defeat.

"Get her in the van. We need to get her back. Eloise, can you make a small flame? Warm her up some?" Edwin started calling out fast.

"I can monitor her vitals while we head out. I just need to be in the van somewhere." Tinker Bell voiced up in the confusion. Alice, Eloise, you guys need help Damien get her in the van. Reggie, stay with them and tail them in case there is an emergency. I'm going to ride ahead and make sure the medical bay is ready at the base." As fast as they could move, the group took to action. Edwin didn't care about speed limits, and he had a feeling someone was keeping the road open for him. The rush of the road helped make sense of the whole situation.

* * *

The group got back right when Edwin expected.

"Is she awake?" Edwin was frantic, not prepared to have a death in the team that wasn't even finished. He was dumfounded at what he saw. The new figure, standing tall, like nothing happened.

"She dried up before I even had a flame going. She woke up in a few minutes." Eloise filled in Edwin to help pick his jaw up off the floor.

"So, your not going to let me say no?" The strange figure asked.

"Well depends, are you going to play slip and slide with us again?" Reggie asked annoyed that she acted like they were the aggressors.

"I was defending my home."

"You tried to kill us." Damien called back, looking like he was ready to reach out and sap this frail body of what little she had.

"Damien, stand down, you too Reggie. How about we remove the hostility and try to make things homely?" Eloise shouted out. Damien, Reggie, and Tinker Bell saw their way out. Edwin waited for the crowd to empty out before moving on.

"What's your name?" The new comer took a second to decide how to answer.

"I'm Alayna." She timidly answered. Eloise and Edwin exchanged looks. Edwin decided to take his leave and report to 'The Stranger.' Alice took this moment to help calm things down.

"How about some food? A drink?" Alayna looked uneasy at first, then she nodded. Alice took this as a moment to check out the kitchen. Eloise stayed put with the stranger. She imagined what kind of the fight it could be. Fire and water. They looked different, but seemed so similar. The need to survive, to figure out what's going on, and how to answer the world.

"Why do you hide? Why are you on your own?" Alayna just shuddered. Not willing to answer, she asked questions right back.

"Why do you want me? Why so pushy?" Eloise didn't even have all the answers.

"We are just as in the dark about some things as you. All I know is we are here for each other. We want to help you, we know what kind of life you have lived." Alayna decided to accept the answer, and was glad when Alice came back with a plate full of food and a bottle of water.

"We have leftover reheat burgers, fries, and corn." The girls decided to try just talking for a few hours, break the ice, while the Reggie and Damien both went down to the range. Edwin needed to breathe, and breathe he did. The bike was getting a lot of miles on it, and it was happy. He told Tinker Bell to hang in the saddle bag and let him know when everyone was ready to calm down and talk together. Time to let it out. He hoped on the freeway, cranked the throttle, and let the bike roar for a good hour and a half. Tink gave him the signal when it was time to head back, and he decided to return to the calm.

"So, how is everyone?" 'The Stranger' asked from up above the group on his catwalk. With everyone calmed down, the hope to start talks again on better terms sparked a new confidence in everyone.

"Well, we are all here. Now what?" Edwin asked politely.

"Train, work together, become the best you can. We will need you to be everything you are able." 'The Stranger' mysteriously answered. 


	9. It's so shiny.

"So, training is in full swing. I hear that you could use some new toys." 'The Stranger' opened up the conversations for the day in the mess hall. One of the few times he comes down from the perch in the operations room, as it had become known. He came down to eat with everyone regularly. Edwin and Eloise were quite the cooks. Eloise was fine with cooking as long as she had her morning cup of coffee, good and full, and Edwin was used to cooking breakfast for a crowd. Lunch was usually a case of what you can manage to make. Dinner was always a feast for the group. With three different proteins, an assortment of veggies, and lots of potatoes.

"Well, we have our skills, but depending on who we are facing, we might need some help." Alice commented.

"I would never turn down new knives." Reggie added in. Edwin thought long about the subject. With a smirk he decided to speak up.

"Metal gauntlets. Like knight gloves." Everyone gave him a look except 'The Stranger'.

"Well, I like someone who knows what they are after." He replied with a chuckle. "I believe I have an idea for you all. Give me a few days." The simple response came. Everyone finished breakfast and got to the days routines. Turns in the practice range, both solo and various groups. In between they relaxed in the dorms, now separated to two rooms. The girls and the boys. Damien didn't have much to bring to the room, and had a bit of a wardrobe enhancement with his arrival. Alayna had a similar situation, and Alice and Eloise were quick to take her shopping for clothes, and the other two picked up a few things while they were out. The boy's used most of the free time to do a bit of creative thinking. The girls decided to work on bonding, and the group as a whole enjoyed time together by sharing stories, trading ideas on how to improve their abilities, and wonder what's going on. The now familiar crackle of the intercom came over in the rooms.

"Please show up to the training room." 'The Stranger's voice came over loud and clear. Everyone went over together and saw 'The Stranger' standing with a large case next to him. "Please, enter. I have surprises for all of you." The group eagerly stood waiting for the presentation. "I will call you up one by one, and present you with your new skills to learn." 'The Stranger' stated, hoping to see a few excited faces. "Reggie." Calmly calling forward the eager dark haired boy with an excited gleam in his eyes. "Let me present you with your new wrist shot." Reggie's face lit up when he realize what it was. A pair of small crossbow-like devices to place on his lower arms and launch the blades from his wrist fast enough to get through his shadow portals.

"Now I can really have some fun on the range." Reggie stated, getting ready to try it out already.

"Eloise." A little hesitant, she walked forward to find an interesting surprise.

"A compound bow. With fire proof arrows! Katniss Everdeen eat your heart out. Catch this fire." Without even taking a moment, she grabbed an arrow, loaded it up on the bow and fired off onto one of her test dummies. Right when she let it off, she let the real fun happen. Fire proof for a good reason. She ignited a fire on the arrow head as it flew through the air. With a smile, she bowed in thanks and backed up.

"Damien and Alice." Both walked forward wondering why they were called together. "You two may need to help each other out some. So I decided to put yours together. He presented a long bull whip, capable of grabbing things about fifteen feet away, and Alice a spear. "Both of you can catch things far away from you and help each other out. I know both of you suffer from a limited range with your abilities." Alice and Damien both had an excited look as they thought of ways to practice. "Alayna." The newest member still lacked a little confidence in their new house owner, but stepped up tall. "I would like to offer you this." 'The Stranger' lifted a small case from the larger box. Opening it up, he reveled bracelets with small tubes on them. "The tubes can be used to focus your water streams to varying sizes. Smaller streams can be used to cut objects with the force." Alayna smiled as she fitted the metal bracelets over her sleeves. "Finally, Edwin." The patient final recipient walked forward. "As you requested, a fitting pair of gauntlets. However, with a few alterations. First off, you have much more flexibility. Second, it's a light weight metal alloy. Third, and final, a small protrusion above the back of your hand. This has been fitted to be a casting point from your bolts." Edwin grinned. Slipping on the new gauntlets he took a step forward. One simple hand raise and he pegged the target with more accuracy than ever.

"Fits like a glove." He smiled making his usually joke in opportune time. 'The Stranger' smiled. "I am glad you all are pleased with your gifts. I hope this gives you the edge you may need. Learn them, and make sure you can do without. Be ready for any situation." Everyone was starting to feel a little grim. What was it they were learning to do? They all hoped to learn soon.

"Well, I believe we should all be heading to bed." He concluded trying to fix the mood. Everyone just quietly left the room. Wondering what will come next.


	10. The Calm Before the Storm. . .

Eloise stepped out into the cool fall air, bidding Damien a good job as he headed towards the dorms after their extra practice. Who knew that drawing the energy out of fire he could work on his ability and get her to draw more energy and build into bigger flames?

“Hey.” She called, knowing she’d find Edwin waiting. He looked over his shoulder and grunted, glaring daggers at little sister. “So, the theory the girls and I have had is correct, and Damien was so awesome in helping. I cannot wait to share the results with ‘The Stranger’ and Alice.” She said, trying to perk up a conversation. Edwin didn’t budge, just shot random electrical arcs out at stones, making them fly from their resting places. Eloise gave him a look and tried a different tactic. “So, how goes your training?”

“Peachy.” Edwin replied flatly, his tone dripping with sarcasm and bitterness.

“What’s wrong?” Eloise asked, put off and on edge by Edwin’s anger.

"You know exactly what is wrong." Edwin yelled out behind himself, trying to escape the crowed feeling.

"No I don't, you never told me." Eloise responded, equally infuriated. 

"Yes, you do. You know exactly what. Unless you really are that dense that you completely forgot." Edwin called out storming out further from the building. Literally storming.

"You know, you are always this shut in. Why don't you ever open up and talk?" Eloise followed, knowing the only way in was to pester Edwin until he let spoke up.

"It's Friday, and you made plans. Other than our Friday plans." Eloise stood there, dumbfounded.

"That's what this is about? Because I didn't keep Friday open for us?" Edwin and Eloise had always kept Friday open to hang out together at a local restaurant, theater, or coffee shop.

"So the world gets turned upside down and you expect that to stay the same?" Eloise stood there expecting Edwin to understand that. What she never expected is for him to be serious.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I would like to think that with everything else changing, we would try to hold something the same." Now sparks really started to fly. "

It's one night, I would have been there next week." Eloise let out thinking it would start to calm him down.

"That's not the point. It's the matter of the principal. What's to say you won't drop next week? Or the week after that? At some point you just don't care. It becomes something you just forget about all together." Edwin's whole body started to crackle. "You need to have a little faith. It's not like I was going to just drop out of your life? I was not going to forget it over and over and over." Edwin started to settle down a little.

"I just don't want to lose this. Lose being together. Siblings. Always together." Eloise was amazed.

"You need to learn to let go. You still get so freaked out over little things. It's like you expect me to be like Jasmin. What's the matter, can't accept that not everyone is about to drop out of your life?" Edwin started to light up again.

"Don't go there."

"Don't go where? Talk about your fear? Don't mention your total in ability to process loss? The world is not out to leave you alone. You need to quit pushing people out though, or the world will leave you alone." Edwin's whole figure started to charge.

"Is that all? Or do you need to hit me in the face with one of your fireballs for good measure? I mean, it wouldn't be any lower then when you punched me for joking around making fun of you." Eloise started to glow now.

"Oh, you would bring that up. That's what you remember?" Edwin glowed brightly. "Go ahead. Hit me. HIT ME!" Eloise flared up started to build up a large fireball, and flung it straight at Edwin's chest. She expected to have to put the fire out right away, but Edwin just stood there. "Can't burn me. Remember? I generate just as much heat as you do with my electricity." Edwin spat defiantly. Eloise just made a larger fireball. This time it was his whole body. He staggered back some. The parking lot glowed with electricity. Edwin started to rise up a little. Everyone else was at the door way, watching since the fight outside got loud enough to draw attention from across the entire building. Suddenly the sparks started to take shape. Edwin's whole body rose up and started to bend slightly. He howled out, like an animal. It had a distortion to it. Like it was being made by vibrating metal from an electrical charge. Everyone took a step back except Eloise. Then it took a real shape. A giant wolf made from Edwin's charge was staring everyone in the eye. It let out another howl even louder. Eloise started to realize what was happening and quickly dropped her fiery mantra surrounding her. Edwin's form started to walk around. Its glowing eyes stuck on Eloise, now frozen in place. It stood there as if waiting for her to make a move. Acting on instinct, Damien cracked his whip to draw attention. Everyone else got the idea and started to circle the form and make noise. Edwin's floating body started to circle back and forth looking. It would get ready to pounce one person than it would change attention to another. Eventually the form slowed down, shrunk down, and then dropped. Edwin's now limp body fell to the ground. Everyone rushed over and grabbed his form and rushed him inside to the medical bay. Eloise started to freak out and yell frantically orders.

"Get him on the bed, check his pulse, and get the cart ready." Alice grabbed the paddles and got a charge ready. In seconds Edwin woke up, and the crash cart lost it charge.

"Holy. . ., what happened?" Everyone sighed a breath of relief and looked at Edwin as 'The Stranger' waked in.

"What happened, is when your emotions spiked, so did your power." Everyone stood confused a little. "From what we can tell, your abilities fluctuate with your feelings. When you feel tired, things around you related to your power seem to diminish. When you get angry, well, things get interesting." Edwin sat there and began to sink down.

"So that, thing from me, was because I got mad?" 'The Stranger breathed in, trying to keep the situation calm.

"To be short, yes." Edwin just sank further.

”I caused this, I shouldn't have gotten mad." Eloise wasn't about to let him spiral down.

"No, this isn't your fault. I shouldn't have forgotten Friday night." Alice decided to keep the whole thing neutral.

"Let's just not blame anyone. There was no way to know this would happen." 'The Stranger' jumped in finding this a good time to speak.

"Let's use this as a lesson. Try not to stay bottled up, and importantly, do not agitate each other. Now that you know the possible consequences, let's try to stay peaceful with each other. Shall we?" The team took a breath and looked over each other. Edwin was the first to speak up with some regained confidence.

"Agreed." Alayna took a breath and decided to try to make some peace.

"Let's take some time and sleep it off. Be fresh for the morning." Tinker Bell took this as a time to join in with some interesting comments.

"If it would interest anyone, I thought you would want to know that the odds of anyone else becoming an animal like that are very low." Once again, Tink's comment's always help lighten a situation. "Get some rest, and don't hold the past over yourselves."


	11. and the Ash After the Blaze

The next few days were awkward for the group. Edwin kept to himself, more so then usual. Eloise tried to crack his shell, but didn't want to push anything. Meals were always bustling and busy, but no one really talked about anything that mattered. It was all small talk, an attempt to keep things even keel. The first couple of days when people would ask Edwin a question, it was like he wasn't there. He would pick at his plate, realize you were looking at him, and then ask you to repeat the question. His conversations, like his appetite, were all but gone. The pale skin he had lost all color it had before to the point of being a bed sheet color. By Monday, everyone got the idea and left him alone to his thoughts. He still trained, although he seemed to be getting worse instead of better, and his down time was usually spent in one of the more secluded rooms in the building. Empty, save for a chair that sat in the middle. Finally the group had seen him waste away enough.

"Someone needs to talk him out of this. He's practically gone short circuit. He doesn't eat, he hardly sleeps, and worst of all is the fact he won't talk to anyone." Damien broke the silence of a dinner that was unexpectedly missing a member at the table. No one expected him to just stay in his solitary room. When he wasn't there to cook, Eloise thought he was just running late, his usual quick pace now a drag on the ground. When he didn't show all together, she was expecting to hear he forgot to come because he was talking to someone and he was feeling better. After she asked everyone if they had seen them and got a repeated "No. I haven't." She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Eloise, have you talked with him since the melt down?" Reggie asked pleadingly as if he didn't know the answer, like it was a dream and she was about to say no and she was going to try.

"Yes, I have. I tried talking, I tried sitting and watching, I tried cooking his favorite meal to see if he would at least start eating. Nothing. Just that blond rag he calls hair staring back at me. He's obsessed with some piece of metal he found. It's all he focuses on in that room. I see it spark, but not much." Eloise responded with equally panicked voice.

"I think he said he wanted to make the metal levitate. Something about electro magnetics." Alice added in, trying to make his strange behavior seem slightly more acceptable. No one wanted to sound like they were blaming him or angry. After realizing the danger they all could be in when they didn't control their emotions, everyone took steps to vent reasonably.

"He needs to talk, and I think he is afraid to get close to anyone now." Alayna soberly remarked with a touch of regret in her voice that she didn't take many steps to get to know Edwin before the outburst.

"I have tried to make amusing comments, but Edwin seems disinterested in my presences of late. I detected abnormal electrical readings coming from the metal. I could register his effort to charge the metal to create an electromagnetic field and raise it up, but the reading is way out of sync. After the incident, it almost seems like Edwin has lost his charge, and it is making him suffer both physically and mentally." Tinker Bell added trying to raise some sort of information to the surface that could possible make his attitude adjust.

"Have you tried electrocuting him? I'm being completely serious here." Damien remarked, sounding almost annoyed that Edwin had let himself sink so low.

"Perhaps we should keep our more violent sounding answers to ourselves. As much as you and I know it won't hurt him, he may feel you want to hurt him facetiously." 'The Stranger' added, similarly concerned with the whole problem. "Perhaps a group effort in necessary to talk with him. He may feel he did all of you an injustice and want to discuss it with all of you." The room went quiet when they heard the door open up. All eyes tried not to turn as Edwin wandered over to the kitchen area to fix up a plate. Everyone was hopeful when he walked near the table, and disappointed when Edwin sat by himself at another table.  The same matted mess of hair looked at them as Edwin's gaze never raised past about ankle level when the others were around. Everyone just sat awkwardly pretending to eat, seeing if he would ever take a bite to his mouth. When he started to eat the food, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. When the plate was cleaned, the group all felt like maybe things were going to improve. Alice, Eloise, and Alayna all devised a plan to make the trend continue, and convinced Reggie and Damien they would handle it. The three girls had a plan, and they jokingly told them it required a "woman's touch."

"Edwin. Edwin. We have a surprise for you." Alayna poked her head in the small room he was sitting in. "You have to come outside to see what it is." Edwin gave a look, the first time he raised his head to face someone in three days. The girls all knew why he wasn't looking at anyone. His eyes were bloodshot. His face was pale. Almost sickly so.

"Holy. . ." Eloise said under her breath. She had never seen Edwin so low, and she had seen him low before. Alice looked at her concerned. If this surprised Eloise, then it must be bad.

"We thought you could use a pick me up. Wanted to help you out here." Alice gave a cheerful look, though her eyes gave away her concern.

"So what's this surprise?" Edwin asked with a touch of "here it comes" attitude in his voice. "I don't see anything out here."

"Not out here. Outside." Alayna commented, trying to get him enthused.

"Do I have a choice?" Edwin replied, knowing the answer. The three girls sat there, looked at each other, and replied in unison.

"NO!" They quickly took a hold of him and pulled him outside to the garage where the vehicles were.

"What's going on? Where are we going?" Edwin quickly responded

"Get in the van little boy." Eloise told him in her best old man impersonation. "We have a surprise inside."

"Now you’re scaring me. Did someone give her red bull again?" Edwin asked concern in his voice.

"No, but you really must get in the van." Alice told him, not giving him a choice in it all. "We are going to help you out."

"I just want to sit in peace. Avoid problems." Edwin stood there, resistant to going out.

"Not an option. Besides, you'll like this surprise." Alayna told him. "We are going to the city. It's about time you update your wardrobe."

"We are going to help you pick some stuff out. Find you a few things that should cheer you up." Eloise started tugging his arm, trying to get him in the van.

"No." Edwin stood defiantly.

"Yes, you need to get out." Alayna tried to coax him into the van.

"No. I'm not going out." Edwin backed up from the van.

"Edwin, it's for your own good." Alice tried to be reasonable, and get him to step in the right direction.

"I said no." Edwin backed off from everyone, and had a slight charge. He quickly saw what was happening and dropped his arms, lost his charge, and sunk down on the ground. "See? I can't go out. I'll hurt someone. I can't get a grip on this." Edwin told them as he started to sob some.

"You need to loosen up. Take a breath. Slow down." Alayna tried to step closer, arms open to him.

"NO! Don't get close to me." Edwin started to crawl back from everyone towards a corner of the garage.

"Edwin stop. We just want to help. You're going mental." Eloise spoke out with serious concern in her voice.

"I can't be helped. I'm a monster. I almost killed you. I need to be locked up." Edwin kept moving back from the trio, now standing together with a defensive look. Reggie and Damien heard the noise in the garage and stood at the door way, waiting to see what would happen.

"Please, let us help you." Alice tried to keep him calm. "You’re wasting away in front of us. Please come here."

"NO! I'M TRYING TO PROTECT YOU. PLEASE STOP!" Edwin screamed out as his whole body glowed slightly from the stress. The lights in the room started to brighten, and a few blew out. Alayna couldn't stand to watch it anymore. She rushed forward and held Edwin, despite looking ready to shock anyone who came near. Edwin quickly dropped the charge to avoid hurting his holder. He stood there dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the care he was given. Soon Eloise and Alice followed suit. Slowly starting to stand up, he still couldn't understand it all.

"Now, you want to go wardrobe shopping?" Eloise looked up at her now less pale big brother, standing there deciding to accept the care instead of wonder why.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Edwin looked at the three questioningly. Everyone looked concerned, then saw the look on his face and burst into laughter with him.

"Nothing, except needing a tad bit more color in your outfit." Alice laughed with him keeping the good mood going. Soon Reggie and Damien caught on and joined the group. Finally, it seemed like they accepted the new idea to be a team.


	12. The Duty and the Job

"Ready for some fun?" Edwin asked Alayna as they prepared to practice on the range. The pairings were random for the five days of the week, and this week Tuesday it was Edwin and Alayna lined up in the morning. They had both become good friends during these chances to bond some. Water and electricity may not have been a good idea normally, but they used it as an advantage in practice.

"You talk as if you're why the fun happens." Alayna responded with a smirk, determined to one up her partner today. Everyone had a little completion going with everyone else, but it was all taken in good nature. One of the games going around was to make difficult take downs while pretending to be injured. Edwin had to learn how to set off lightning without using his arms as a mental guide. Alayna was forced into a dry room. Normally she drew moister out of the air into large volumes of water, but when room humidity is five percent, there isn't much water there to pull. A new favorite was sweat, as the training exercises created plenty of it for her to utilize. "I should start walking around with a few water bottles, just to give me something to work with." She commented, imaging ways to improve her odds in the field.

"Maybe we need uniforms to hold everything. We could be power rangers!" Edwin joked as Alayna took him seriously at first. Alayna still had trouble telling when Edwin was sarcastic, although his method of joking was usually confusing to begin with. Edwin usually confused everyone though. Eloise seemed to be the only person to catch on right away, and the usual response was to slug him in the arm over the whole thing.

"I might have to take you up on that, but I can't be the pink one." Alayna joked back, wondering if there was more than just Edwin's usual kind personality at play here.

"Agreed. We can make Eloise wear pink." Edwin laughed, making the sarcasm very apparent. "You ready for this today?"

"Couldn't be more prepared." Alayna replied after the laughter came down. The pair quickly stepped into training. It wasn't long before the training range became much more complex. Targets were fitted to move around, groups of cover were set up to activate and deactivate with a program, or in response to impact. The targets also fought back. Attached were small pressure guns with hacky sack bags that aimed with the target, and in response to movement. They stung, left a small bruise, but mostly hurt the recipient’s pride.

"I am so tempted to just zap those stupid hacky sacks in midair. Who cares about getting hit by a little ash?" Edwin added, being one of the more common ones to get hit. He referred to it as being willing to take a hit to get a job done. The other guys referred to it as being a show off. The girls all referred to it as being stupid. Everyone always laughed when Tinker Bell told him it was a calculated risk and he simply did the math wrong. "I could, I might be able to stop a bullet. Maybe force it to the ground with magnetics. Super heat it into a molten mass that losses aerodynamics."

"Yeah, and then burn your stomach instead of hit your chest." Alayna quickly quipped. Her more common problem was pushing her new skills. Part of her control over water was not limited to only its liquid state. She could even thaw ice, and freeze water. The trick was keeping it frozen midflight. The friction of moving through the air melted most of the icicle, and a small splash of water was hardly harming. "Anyways, what's on the docket today?"

"Looks like this should be interesting. . . Wants us to start in the middle of the room." Edwin replied looking at the screen with the training plans on it.

"This sounds scary. Surrounded by the targets?" Alayna looked back at Edwin with a look of slight concern.

"We'll be fine. Just have to think the situation through." Edwin replied with a grin. "I got an idea that should work."

"Would all members of the team report to the ready room immediately." ‘The Stranger’ called out over the intercom.

"Looks like we get lucky this time." Alayna breathed a sigh of relief when she heard they were off the hook.

"This time." Edwin laughed, knowing it was inevitable.

"What do you think is up?" Eloise asked the pair as they left the training room.

"No clue, maybe he wants to tell us that our services are no long required and we may go live our normal lives again." Edwin joked, hoping to never return to "normal."

"No such luck, looks like he's got a decision time look on his face." Alayna replied to Edwin's joking speculation.

"Is everyone here, I hope to start right away. We have a very important issue to discuss." 'The Stranger' asked, looking almost rushed about the whole thing.

"Last one here. What's up?" Damien walked in, covered in engine oil and other vehicle fluids. "Just finished buttoning up Reggie's car. Needed to do some maintenance on it." Turns out that you put a car, an instruction manual, and three hours in front of Damien , he could maintain, tune, and improve just about any vehicle. With a little assistance from Tinker Bell.

"Well, my reports indicate that you may be needed in the field sooner than planned." 'The Stranger' looked at the group, urgency much more obvious in his voice. "As a team, it is necessary for there to be a deciding body amongst you. As I will not be venturing out with you, a field leader needs to be elected."

"Wait, so you want us to decide who team leader is? For once you don't have it decided?" Damien asked surprised. Usually most things were decided ahead of time, although the group usually agreed it was the best course of action anyways.

"It is true, I normally have already made a choice, and in this case I do have an individual in mind. However, I want your input." 'The Stranger' looked confident that his choice would win out in the end.

"How should we vote, what's to keep everyone from voting for themselves?" Edwin asked.

"Well, this should make it one person easier. I'm not running for leader." Alayna quickly took a step back from the line. Alice followed suit. Reggie and Damien looked at each other, as if deciding that they didn't want to back off if the other didn't. The pair had developed quite the rivalry in the short time they knew each other. Eventually they both stepped back together. Eloise and Edwin stood tall in front of the other four.

"No need for heroics, I can handle this." Eloise looked at Edwin with a strong, confident look in her eyes.

"I'm good. I'll stand right here for the result." Edwin looked back, slightly less confidence in his eyes. The sibling rivalry was truly underway. While Eloise had confidence Edwin doubted he would ever reach, that may become his greatest asset. He was not opposed to stepping out of the way for someone more capable to perform an action. Eloise did possess the tenacity to lead though. Taking charge came very quick to her, almost natural. As they stood there in a seemingly impossible starring contest, 'The Stranger' spoke up.

"Well, we seem to have found our candidates. Would your four please talk amongst yourselves who you want to lead the group?" A slight smile crossed his face, as it was apparent his choice had stood tall and ready to command. Damien , Reggie, Alice, and Alayna looked at each other and whispered in a huddle. Edwin and Eloise still stood in the starring contest, although at this point they both had blinked several times. Strangely enough, as if to keep the game going, they always managed to blink in unison. Edwin wondered if it was Eloise doing that on purpose to mess with him, or just coincidence.

"We have made our choice." Alice stepped away from the crowd but not up to where Eloise and Edwin now stood. "We have decided to choose Edwin." 'The Stranger smiled large, like he just won a bet.

"I assumed you would. Glad to see you all have just as good of skills of picking someone out with skill. Eloise, you are a close second. I hope there are no hard feelings."

"None. I wanted Edwin to win, but I wanted to make him stand up to little sister for once in his life." Eloise gave her usually look of "I'm right, but you can't hurt little sister" right at Edwin, making feel like he played right into the trap.

"Thank you, all of you. I hope I exceed expectation." Edwin looked at the group, now looking unanimously to him for guidance.

"Do not take this task lightly. It is a duty to both your fellow members and yourself. Don't fail." 'The Stranger' quickly sobered up his happy expression as he proceeded to kill all excitement in the room.

"In anticipation of this announcement, I believe it is customary to make a cake. Being as I don't have arms, will a hologram of one suffice?" Tinker Bell floated up to Edwin, attempting to simulate a questioning voice.

"Yes Tink, a hologram will be fine." Edwin laughed as the whole group imagined how good real cake would taste.

"Looks like we are going to have to learn how to bake Edwin." Eloise jabbed at big brother, knowing the oven was not his friend.

"I guess I can't order you to cook one for us?" Edwin stated with an "Oh yeah. . ." sound to his voice. Everyone headed towards the kitchen area to watch the disaster that prepared to unfold in a few minutes.


	13. Flour, Eggs, and Sugar. OH MY!!!

"Was that supposed to be baking powder or baking soda?" Edwin called down the kitchen as Eloise quickly whipped up the eggs and other wet ingredients for the cake.

"Please tell me you didn't add either in yet." Eloise replied with dread in her voice. Big brother was good at most cooking, but baking was not his forte.

"Um. . . I didn't add either in yet?" Edwin stated with as much dread as Eloise, although it was more dread of the head smack that was inevitably going to occur.

"And three, two, one." Alayna whispered under her breath counting down with impeccable accuracy the moment Edwin would call out in pain from the slap his cranium just received. "Nailed it." She let out as she fist bumped Reggie.

"You didn't have to hit that hard. It was an honest mistake." Edwin could be heard sheepishly protesting the amount of force that was used to discipline his fumble. "It would help if you wrote this down. Give me instructions to follow. A recipe card. Anything. Just not calling it out from down the walk way."

"Clean your ears out then. I am speaking at a perfectly fine volume." Eloise stood there with the "you know I'm right." look on her face. She may be about seven inches the Edwin, but she had no problem bringing him down on her level to look him in the eye.

"Well maybe I should handle the mixer and let your get all the dry ingredients. At least then if I mess up, we just make a bigger cake." Edwin looked at her, expecting to have a concussion when this was all over.

"Just mix the dry stuff, and try to listen to me when I give you the next item." Eloise looked back at Edwin. His blond hair was still a little shaggy from the bad weekend. It was looking closer to the golden blond he always had, instead of the dirty blond color it took on while he was not himself. His light blue eyes seemed brighter than they had in a long time. Ever since his parent’s death Edwin looked almost like he wasn't there. The lights were on, but no one was home. Almost like someone put a lampshade on an open flame. Ever since the moment in the garage, it was like the lampshade was taken off, and his eyes seemed brighter than ever before.

Eloise pulled some butter sticks from the tiny microwave after getting them softened and paused to look at her big brother. His average build and height not giving off any sense of fear, but the way his shoulders hunched in gave a few hints. His gait from sugar bin to bowl was like always, a bit bouncy, but not cheerleader bouncy, just like a geeky skip from the balls of his feet, with an awkward stiffness in the rest of his body. She rolled her eyes, looking at his slightly pointed ears reddening with mild frustration at the task, as his eyes followed the grains of sugar. Eloise was happy to see her brother pre-accident back, with his nerdy energy and a glow that was just "Edwin". She began humming an MCR song and went back to mixing the wet ingredients together in the mixer.

            Edwin quickly noticed the stare, and looked at Eloise with an obvious "what?" on his face. She realized his returning stare and quickly returned to her task. He took in the slightly smaller figure in front of him. He stood a full head taller, but never had a problem looking up to "little sister." Her little Miss F-ing sunshine face always made him either smile, feel foolish, or both. Her auburn brown hair defiantly tumbled down the length of her back. She insisted on keeping the length, even though it seemed like an accident waiting to happen. The pair quickly got to work, and managed to put everything together and in the oven.

"Now, let’s not burn this Miss Fireball. Shall we?" Edwin joked at the unfortunate irony. The fire wielder being the head cook.

"The only thing I'm going to burn is your hair off." Eloise replied, though she laughed. If there was one thing Eloise was glad to hear, it was the joker side of Edwin.

"Now now now, let's not be so pyro here. The whole factory isn't fire proof remember?" Edwin came back. When in doubt, bug little sister.

"Are you two giving each other a hard time? Last time you two argued, a bad thunderstorm rolled by." Reggie laughed at the irony.

"Now that's not my fault. I'm not Mr. Thunderhead." Eloise protested having any fault, giving that 'I don't know what you’re talking about face.

"She doth protest too much!" Damien laughed, making sure Eloise did not go without some form of fault.

"Well, at least no one got hurt. Other than passing out from exhaustion." Alice tried to add a good moment to what was a dark and scary point.

"I say we forget it all and remember where we are now." Alayna commented, trying to keep the situation from turning dark.

"I think I smell cake. Is it done already?" Reggie sniffed the air wondering what smelled so good.

"Uh oh. . ." Edwin and Eloise both looked back into the kitchen. "I thought you were going to pull it out." The cry came out in unison as Edwin and Eloise both rushed into the kitchen trying to save the cake, finding out they made it just in time.

"So much for the only Edwin's hair being burnt." Alayna let out, concerned the cake was done for.

"Not this time." Eloise let out, relieved to have saved it just in time.

"I think this is enough adventure for today." Edwin sighed in relief. Everyone laughed, unaware of the red dot in the corner watching them. It seemed to float with a slight up and down motion.

"Data acquisition ended. Returning for data download." The red dot reported to some unknown listener.

"Good. We will begin discussing everything right away." The reply came back to the floating watcher.


	14. Subject: Edwin

"Begin data analysis. Basic hypothesis only." The casual voice gave the order. The small floating red light bobbed up and down for a moment, the sound of whirling gears and humming coming out from the metal being.

"Initial results are as followed.

Subject: Edwin. . .

Affinity: Electricity. . .

Height: 5'9". . .

Build: Average. . .

Extent of abilities are as follows:

Ability to generate, store, and release electrical charges. Voltages range from about 20 volts to upwards of 1,000 volts. Current discovered applications include electromagnetics, disabling of electrical devices, partial to full body paralysis, the ability to stop and start a subject’s heart, powering large electrical devices for short periods of time. The absorption of electrical charges seems to restore energy to Edwin that he can use for other purposes. It is not clear whether or not this extends as far as being able to live without basic nutrition. Further research is necessary.

Possible expansions of powers:

Levitation from electromagnetics, larger voltage charge and discharge, extended use of large discharge abilities, control of bestial aura.

Physical weaknesses. . .

Lack of exposer to electrical sources seems to slow the charging process, and limits his ability to restore personal energy. Also noted is a difficulty to control discharges without a physical guide. While his abilities are not limited to using his hands, the mental guide seems to greatly improve accuracy of both where he strikes and the voltage collected before discharge.

Mental weaknesses. . .

Abandonment issues stemming from both loss of his parent's lives, along with lack of relationship with older sister. Mood swings also seem to appear in the subject’s life during high stress moments. Further research into cause may be required to diagnose if any mental conditions exist.

Summary is as follows. . .

Threat level: High. . .

Usefulness: High. . .

Necessity to terminate when done with use: High. . .

End of report on subject."

"Interesting. We will need to make sure we keep Mr. Edwin on our side for as long as possible. Keep all records sealed. We don't want them to find out anything until we are ready." The man sat and took a drink from his glass.

"Affirmative sir." The small red light seemed to nod at him.

"Begin the next subject analysis."


	15. Subject: Eloise

 

"Who is next on the list?" The man in the chair stood up, walked over to his bottle of whisky. Filling the glass, he took time to admire the intricate designs. The wolf head, surrounded by snowflakes etched into the side. About the size of his hands height, he used his fingers to measure his mixes. Three fingers whisky, one finger water, and then an ice cube. The small red light made the same sound or mechanical processing before responding.

 

"The pyromancer.

 

Initial results are as follows. . .

 

Subject: Eloise. . .

 

Affinity: Thermal energy. . .

 

Height: 5'. . .

 

Build: Petite. . .

 

Extent of abilities are as follows:

 

Ability to excite atoms to generate high thermal energy. Spontaneous combustion commonly follows, including trace fuels in the air to create fire. Thermal range has been measured to as high as 2,000 degrees Celsius. Impervious to burning, though unclear as to being shielding from heat or simply genetic alteration making her skin immune to thermal energy. Heat seems to a natural source for her body. The absorption of high heat sources around her allows her to regain strength.

 

Possible expansions of powers:

 

Personal levitation using thermal heat to create updrafts. Use of specialized suit mostly likely required. Possible reduction of thermal energy closer towards room temperature. Self-emersion in fire, including effects similar to Edwin's bestial aura.

 

Physical weaknesses. . .

 

Extreme low temperatures. Chaotic nature of abilities possible creating more destruction then intended.

 

Mental weaknesses. . .

 

Dysfunctional family creating social stress and awkwardness. Extremely headstrong, which may cause problems in both leadership following and argument issues with fellow teammates. Strong ties to Edwin could also create issues for both members. Further speculation is required to find the extent.

 

Summary is as follows. . .

 

Threat level: High. . .

 

Usefullness: Moderate. . .

 

Necessity to terminate after use: High. . .

 

End of subject report."

 

"Well, this is becoming very informative. I hope we can keep them agreeable for as long as possible." The man stood at the table and sipped his whiskey. "Start the next report.

 

 


	16. Subject: Alayna

The man slowly paced the room. Back and forth, back and forth. Slowly he saw a plan unfold. His opportunity was coming soon. Just a little more patients. "Tell me about the water girl. The church protector."

"Initial results are as follows. . .

Subject: Alayna. . .

Affinity: Water. . .

Height: 5'2". . .

Build: Small. . .

Extent of abilities are as follows:

Ability to move volumes of water with her mind. Also able to change the state of water and water based liquids. Main source of water is from water vapor, although any form of water can be manipulated. Capable of breathing underwater, healing wounds by immersing in water, and lifting herself and other large objects with torrents of water.

Possible expansion of powers:

Ability to heal other individuals. More control over the amount of water moved.  Manipulation of water inside of objects, including living beings. Containment of fuels inside water or ice blocks for use by other members of the team.

Physical weaknesses. . .

Extreme temperatures cause difficulty with changing the state of water for certain applications. Small frame makes her easily overpower able. Additionally, the subject seems to attempt to remain overly hydrated. A lack of water may affect her more than the average person.

Mental weaknesses. . .

Feelings of abandonment due to misunderstanding of parents. Social issues from living on her own without any acceptance from other people. Emotional bottling causing extreme reactions at times. Lack of confidence creates a sense of inability to do anything usefulness.

Summary is as follows. . .

Threat level: Moderate. . .

Usefulness: Moderate. . .

Necessity to terminate after use: Low. . .

End of subject report."

"More and more interesting. I may have a few new people to contact after this. Please prepare the next reports." The man stood there tall. He smiled as he just imagined the whole possibility. What new steps could be taken towards his plans? 


	17. Subject: Alice

"I believe the next file is Miss Alice? The light shaper?" The man stepped back and forth, still pacing his path. He noticed a small stain on his suit. A splash of whiskey had gotten on the coat. "Damn. That's stained now. Won't come out with the dry cleaner."

"Initial results are as follows. . .

Subject: Alice. . .

Affinity: Light. . .

Height: 5'8". . .

Build: Slightly above average. . .

Extent of abilities are as follows:

Ability to shape light into condensed forms, allowing physical force to be exerted. The high energy nature also causes a burning like wound on targets. The constructs can take a variety of forms. Simple shapes seem to take less concentration as compared to complex objects and even simple machinery. The subject does not seem to suffer of the normal consequences of exposer to excess sun light, and as a result is very pale. Her constructs also do not harm her when physically touching her. The objects seem to hold just as much physical weight as matter made counterparts. The constructs do seem to have a fixed density, giving them the apparent mass of lead. A small wrist screen outfitted with a modeling program has provided useful in aiding the subject in focusing on constructs while under high stress situations. It is unapparent at this time how her emotional level affects her abilities, as her introverted nature causes her emotions to be much more downplayed then other members of the team, such as Edwin. Further data acquisition is required to determine just how high emotion would play into her powers.

Possible expansion of powers:

Increasingly complex constructs. The ability to use light objects to self-propel the subject, such as a catapult system or simply blocks under her feet allowing movement in any direction. Research is being done to analyze the possibility to create light in a dark environment. While her objects can be sustained in the dark, she does have to use preexisting light to make them currently. Extended holding of constructs. Similar to Alayna's ability to alter the state of water into solid, liquid or gas taking effort to then maintain, Alice also has to exert an amount of mental and physical energy to maintain constructs for any length of time. While more complicated constructs take more of a mental toll, the physical toll seems to be tied more into the amount of light being used in a construct.

Physical weaknesses. . .

The subject has poor eyesight and must wear glasses to maintain the ability to operate in a distanced capacity. While high photon exposure is not harmful to the subject, heat and other forms of energy do harm her. Also to be noted, she does not seem to benefit from exposure to her affinity, being one of the few who can not heal or strengthen herself with her element.

Mental weaknesses. . .

The subject is one of the few members of the team without apparent family issues. Her introverted nature makes her an easy person to stress with excessive human contact. Personal time is generally taken to prevent a buildup of stress. It is unclear the reaction that may be involved with a mental break down.

Summary is as follows. . .

Threat level: High. . .

Usefulness: Moderate. . .

Necessity to terminate after use: Moderate. . .

End of report."

"We should take good care to retain her trust. She seems like a very good ally to hold onto. Perhaps we can drive a wedge between her and the others with her personality. Keep that on record please." The man paced back and forth. Two more files and then the real research would begin.


	18. Subject: Reggie

"Tell me about the shadow boy. The one with the over the top and to the moon personality. I want to know what makes him tick." The man now sat at his recliner. A wood fire, or at least an incredibly close hologram of one crackled in front of him. It even gave off heat like a real fire. He imagined the world. Set ablaze by the monsters of the world. People who thought they were better. Were special. People who made others suffer and exploited the weak. He would rise up and save the world. Lead a charge against those who would tear, destroy, and reave the world he lived in. It struck him. A name for the monsters. Reavers. They break the laws of nature. They tear away at reality. "Please make a note. The subjects’ classification from now on will be called reaver."

"Note made sir. Shall I continue with my reports now?" After receiving a nod yes, the robot whirled and turned. The small red light floated up and down.

"Initial report is as follows. . .

Subject: Reggie. . .

Affinity: Shadows. . .

Height: 5'5". . .

Build: Nimble. . .

Extent of abilities are as follows:

Ability to move non-living matter through portals created by the subject. The subject creates a drop portal with his hand. The size and shape is dependent solely on how he draws the lines. It appears only the subject can see these tears in space. He then mentally keeps the portal open and can move objects through them, appearing on the other side out of a shadow. The momentum of objects is maintained through portals, so fast moving objects are very effective projectiles even over long distances. Two very important notes made. Objects cannot be left in a limbo state and then released. The portal can only be made with an exit side connected. Secondly, an object must be fully in the 'shadow realm' before exiting through a shadow. This makes certain task such as pushing a button or passing something along slightly more complex, as the exact release point is difficult to control, other than direction of release.

Possible expansion of powers:

Ability to move living beings. It is not certain why living things pass through the entry portals. The current only explanation is that the energy to move something alive would overwhelm the subject, so a failsafe exist in the genetic mutation causing the ability. It is unsure if having more energy or other training would change this. Moving larger objects. An effort is exerted to move objects through the portals. While the distance it is moved does not seem to matter, the act of holding the portal and allowing an object to pass through is dependent of what is being moved. Also in question is the ability to move objects without seeing an end point. Perhaps a mental picture or live video feed or a room may allow the connection to be made, and objects transported over larger distances.

Physical weaknesses. . .

The smaller frame of the subject makes him innately weaker in a combative situation. The subject also can not heal with shadows, although sticking to them does seem to give some boost to his overall ability. The full extent of this is not yet known.

Mental weaknesses. . .

The subject seems to suffer from some hidden ailment of relation, although the exact nature of this is unclear. An extremely happy demeanor is generally seen, though signs of some underlying stress are apparent on closer examination. Also, the subject seems to exhibit signs of being a kleptomaniac. While the storage room has not been found, a few objects have disappeared mysteriously since training has begun. Petty thefts have been" reported in the area surrounding the time of meeting the subject. No explanation was made as to how the objects seemed to disappear. It is unclear how this habit would affect the team at this time.

Summary is as follows. . .

Threat level: High. . .

Usefulness: High. . .

Necessity to terminate after use: High. . .

End of report."

"Well, we may have a master thief. Make a search later. See if there are another similar cases to what our friend seemed to do. See if anyone else has this ability, and uses it for stealing things." The man stood there with a slight anger in his voice. He imagined people’s possessions being stolen unexplainably. Back to the special and the weak. One taking advantage of the other. Not anymore though. Not anymore.


	19. Subject: Damien

"A fitting way to end the night. Getting ready to do the real test, and after learning how to push them. I want this to be done quickly and efficiently. Please finish the reports." The man sat in his chair filled with confidence. Once the field reports came in, the real plans would come.

"Initial results are as follows. . .

Subject: Damien . . .

Affinity: Life force. . .

Height: 5'9". . .

Build: Husky. . .

Extent of abilities are as follows:

Ability to drain the life force from living being through physical touch. This drained life force seems to transfer to the subject, increasing his physical force. While not superhuman, it is above average. He also heals at an incredibly fast rate. While limited to touch, once the initial drain is acted, his overall abilities make it possible to quickly move from target to target. As far as can be observed, the subject seems to drain the energy to live from his target. This rapid loss of life force seems to age the target, without decaying. The withered shell is extremely fragile, and seems to just turn to dust at the slightest force. It is unclear how much his emotions affect his capabilities, however, he does tend to stay covered up. While he has control, the subject seems concerned with accidentally draining the life from an unintended target.

Possible expansion of powers:

Draining of life from targets as a slight distance. Draining of energy from non-living beings. The ability to heal others by feeding them life force, or to simply energize other members of the team. The strength gained from a drain, along with how fast and how well he can heal.

Physical weaknesses. . .

Nearsighted issues, making him rely on corrective lenses. Also, the necessity to come in physical contact with a target makes him susceptible to both being locked away from targets and also not being able to heal and overpower targets until the first feeding.

Emotional weaknesses. . .

Attention deficit issues, along with a distrust of others due to street life. Additionally, street life seems to have made the subject cold. His willingness to simply kill anyone who gets in the way seems overzealous. It is unclear how this will clash with other members while in the field.

Summary is as follows. . .

Threat level: High. . .

Usefulness: High. . .

Necessity to terminate after use: Extremely high. . .

End of report."

"Excellent. Now that we have that finished, it time to return to normal routine. I don't want anyone to question what has been going on. Shut down A.I. Natasha." The small red light went out, although the shell remained floating there. No light, no processing sound, and no intelligence. "Reboot A.I. Tinker Bell." Suddenly the small robot came to life. The blue glow replaced what was previously red.

"I hope everything was easy to fix sir. When you told me that my diagnostics systems were not detecting instrument failure, I was concerned I was going to be disposed."

The man stood there smiling. "Never would dream of it. You are a very important part of the team. Of my team."


	20. Blood run cold.

"Wait, am I reading this right?" Eloise grabbed the daily to do list and made sure her eyes weren't tricking her. "It says something about patrols. What does that mean?"

"Well, 'The Stranger' did say we were going to start missions soon. Maybe patrols are the start?" Alice stood there, a touch of concern in her voice. "Are we really ready for this?"

Edwin looked over the group. "I would say that we are. And even if we aren't, what choice do we have? Whatever the threat out there is, it's not going to just wait for us to be skilled enough. We are going to have to dig down in tough situations and get it done with what we can do."

"I have to agree. Street learning will do us all some good. That range can only prepare us so much. We don't really know how we would react to stress. Besides, I want out of here. Been awhile since I got to roam a little free." Damien stood there, obvious he was itching to get in a little trouble."

"Let's not jump into anything. Not all of us had such a pleasant life out there. Turns out a church is not the best place to try to keep safe." Alayna recalled her life from before. Three years in that church in Detroit. So many people wanted to tear it down for fun. Burn it, graffiti, even just knocking out bricks and beams. It was her home though. She wouldn't see it broken while she lived.

"I have to agree with Damien though. We are getting cabin fever. I want out, and I want it yesterday." Reggie let out, seemingly eager also to start trouble. It was true. The group was cooped up in the factory for two weeks now. No vacations. No leaving. Not even grocery shopping since they showed up.

"Well, now is our chance to get out. Looks like it is set up in shifts. Today is Eloise, Damien , and Alayna. Tomorrow will be Alice, Reggie, and me. Looks like it will be updated every two days. You will be working in the north east of the city. Seems a pair of trouble makers are up that way." Edwin looked over the paper. He was surprised they were being split up.

"To answer your confused look, you will be on standby, and they are only going out about 15 miles out." 'The Stranger' came out to greet the group.

"We are after a pair of trouble makers? Sounds like a poor use of our abilities." Damien remarked, making it apparent he felt he could be more useful.

"They are being listed as trouble makers by the law because they are clueless. They are a pair of reavers. Like the six of you. They don't use their powers for much, simple robberies, disturbing the peace, and the occasional vandalism. We approached them about a year ago, when they first found out their powers, and they turned us down. Now, they are using their powers to harm others. If you can, bring them in peaceful. If they won't hear reason, deadly force is authorized." He stood obviously not messing around.

"Hearing you loud and clear sir. By the way, did you know you had a stain on your suit coat?" Eloise broke the silence trying to seem ok with what he suggested. "It's self-defense, and the cops won't have the ability to stop or arrest people like us. Not many choices."

"My point exactly. And yes, I did know about it. I spilled something on it, didn't realize it was there last night. Now it's stained." 'The Stranger' seemed eager to have someone see his view point. Give the reason he couldn't articulate.

"Well, I hope we can go through things peacefully. I don't like blood in the water. It attracts sharks." Alayna made a clear point about life on the street. She looked like she had seen her share of power voids and fill ins.

"Let the sharks come. I'll take care of them too." Damien had a confident look. He seemed used to this idea of being invincible. Then again, his ability allowed that.

"If Edwin is not going out, who's in charge?" Eloise seemed to question the division. Why choose a leader just to keep them away from the group?

"My understanding is that you are much more capable then a pair of armatures without formal training. If you don't think that video feed and radio contact with Edwin will be enough then maybe I should send all six of you. But then again I may need to rethink the skill level of what should be the most capable reavers in the city. No one else should have been given this level of training." 'The Stranger' made it a point to challenge the group. He had made it apparent that they needed to prove they were up to his standard.

"Point made. We won't disappoint." Alayna tried to salvage the situation.

"Good. I expect nothing less." 'The Stranger' seemed on edge. If he expected the group to follow everything without question he choose the wrong people. No one knew why he was so secretive. Why motives were left out.

* * *

* * *

* * *

"Everything around here seems clear. If they were around, they left a long time ago." Eloise was eager to get back to the factory. It was too quiet, and not having Edwin around bugged her. She still didn't like the group being split up. Or being able to pick who came along.

"I say we stir our own trouble. Maybe it will make them come to us." Damien posed the idea, wanted to see what the girls would say. Edwin had been quiet. He decided that until things started happening, Eloise was in charge. Both girls proceeded to give him a look that quickly shot down that plan. "It's just an idea." He stood there defensive.

"Yeah, but not a very bright one. I would rather we have the drop then for them to have the drop on us." Eloise stabbed back. The overconfidence was getting on her nerves. 'Keep it under control. Let's not find out what happens when you make living fire angry.'

"How about we finish the rout. See what's down the next couple streets and then go back. Last thing we need is to attract attention to ourselves with nothing to show for it." Alayna tried to play mediator. Turns out water puts out more fires then physical ones.

"I prefer that plan. At least it keeps us out of trouble. What's the vote from our leader?" Eloise knew Edwin was back at the factory, or as had been recently dubbed, The Den, listening to everything. The equipment allowed him to listen to not only the members out in the field, but the surroundings. An extensive screen of monitoring equipment including screens devoted to extremely quiet or background noise.

"Put you in charge for a reason. I trust you to make smart decisions. My vote goes for finish the rout though, in case you wondered." Edwin's voice came through the ear wig.

"There, it's settled. Let's head ou---!" Alayna was cut off by a whip like vine slashing down her right arm. It only brushed her arm, but the rope burn left a red mark on her lower arm, where her sleeve ended. "What the hell was that?"

"The names Whip. That's what. This here is my cohort, Lash. Say hello Lash." The voice came from a thin, almost scrawny man. Lash stood next to the smaller man. The below average stature of the first man was even more apparent next to the 6'2" brawn next to him.

"HELLO!!!!" Lash yelled, and punched the ground. It burst upwards next to Eloise, knocking her off balance and making her wish she hadn't left her bow at The Den. Her thought was that a bow and quiver made it look like she was after trouble, not to mention brought way more attention their way then she cared for.

"Hello to you too! Or should I say good morning sunshine?" Eloise gathered a sizable fireball in her hand and quickly tossed it the way of Whip and Lash. Lash once again smacked the ground, raising a similar wall of solid earth in front of the pair. Eloise cursed when she saw the failed attempt. The slab quickly lowered back down and reveled the small man getting a pair of vines ready to smack down Eloise and Alayna.

"No you don't." Damien quickly sidestepped and grabbed the vine meant for Eloise, while Alayna used a burst of water to jump back. "Time for the fun to start." Damien stood there for a second, and Whip realized what was going on. The whip quickly blackened and turned to dust. The red mark from catching the vine faded, replaced by clean skin. "Shall we?"

"You didn't?" Whip stood for a second, disbelief on his face. He suddenly had a really surprised look on his face when he realized who Damien was. "Grim Reaper? I was told you bugged out of the business. Gave up on being a street king. Turns out you just found a pair of nice girls and got some expensive friends. In that case, I want to make sure this has extra hurt. Lash, hit the lights."

"Gladly." The husky voice came back. He quickly started to begin raising waves of solid earth, trying to launch the group into the air or knock them around. While they all dodged out of the way each time, it was catching up.

"Look. We didn't come to fight. We wanted to give you guys an opportunity. Join us. We are starting something big. Something important. Many hands makes light work." Alayna tried to calm down the pair that was all too eager to just kill the trio on the spot.

"We told your boss no already. We like our life the way it is. I used to respect you Reaper, but you sold out. That will make this all the more enjoyable." Whip started to really show off. Vines started to spring all around the group, all snapping at them and trying to trip them up for Lash to smack around. Eloise quickly burned out the overgrowth, but it kept growing back. Damien started to catch the vines and drained the life from them.

"Look, we need to make this quick. These guys are not going to mess around. I'll drop their guard, you pound them with a torrent and burn them out. Ok?" Damien tried to take some control of the situation.

"Wait, are you sure you can take that hit Damien ?" Edwin's voice could be heard from the radio.

"Yes. I'll manage. Just go with it." Damien responded quickly. As if on cue, Whip managed to slip a vine past Eloise and tripped up Alayna. Lash then knocked her about ten feet back with a dirt ram.

"Oh, no you did not." Eloise looked at Whip and Lash. "Really wanting to get angry right now. But things might turn ugly."

"Eloise, we could use ugly." Damien replied matter of factly. "I'll go get Alayna up and out of the way. See what happens when you try primal rage therapy."

Eloise liked that plan for once. "Now you're speaking my language." The pair split up. Damien managed to wake up Alayna just in time to avoid getting smacked around again. Whip's vines couldn't get anywhere near Eloise at this point. Slowly she made her way closer to the pair. The air around her showing heat mirage. Suddenly an aura of flame engulfed Eloise, and quickly grew into a raging fire. Damien would have sworn it was a phoenix, or some other bird getting ready to peck the pair. Whip and Lash tried to put up a wall of earth, but the blaze consumed the mound, the pair inside, and the immediate area.

"Well, that was interesting." Alayna quietly let out, trying to not move too much on her own.

"What did I do?" Eloise quickly dropped down on her knees. Not from exhaustion, but from realizing what she just did. "I just killed those men."

"Self-defense. They had it coming. Trust me, that's the street life." Damien tried to justify it, but even he didn't have a stomach for seeing the victims of self-defense."

"Hey, you guys there? You're being called back. That was the pair. We will talk about this when you arrive." Edwin gave the order over the radio. The trio loaded up in the van. Luckily it was parked up the street, out of the fight. No one spoke during the whole ride. Everyone came to a realization of what the job meant. It meant being able to kill people who disagreed with them. No one was comfortable with that answer, but if what they saw was the common response, the team was going to have to deal.


	21. Not what I signed up for.

The group had made it back from patrol without any other problems. Turns out getting out quick after a giant fire ball appears takes all the cops attention away from the streets. Edwin was in the garage waiting, a serious look that laid it out simple. 'We need to talk' is all they could read from the look. "Eloise, I'm going to tell you something now. You don't want to hear it, but you need to. Do not take it to heart. It is not your fault."

"Who said I was going to blame myself?" Eloise tried to brush past Edwin, avoiding the answer, and the conversation in general.

"You don't think I know you better than that? You are going to blame yourself for their deaths, and forget what we are here for. They attacked unprovoked. They started the fight. You were acting in your own defense. I'm putting a stop to that before it starts." Edwin stopped her before she made it to the door. Eloise avoided his look. It was hard to look up at the clear blue eyes looking at her.

"Fine. I won't. Ok?" Eloise wanted out of the attention directed at her. The quick answer wasn't enough, but for now Edwin would accept it. While Eloise was stressed, she was at least not getting ready to set everything on fire.

"And you two? How are you holding up?" Edwin looked behind him at the quiet pair. Neither one wanted to get in between the sibling conversation.

"Nothing I haven't seen. Street life is no stranger to me still." Damien tried to play tough. It was apparent this was different. Damien felt like things should have been different now. The death should have ended. Instead, it seemed like it was a job now.

"Unfortunately, I have to say the same. I saw people lose their life. Even people I stopped." Alayna didn't like to admit it, but even her defense of a rundown church included blood spilt.

"Well, same goes for you guys. Don't think too hard on this. It's not your fault. We will bring this up to 'The Stranger' though. I don't know what you expected, but this is not what I signed up for. I came here to make people lives better, not end them.

"Well, we will probably have to deal with it. Because I don't see how we can stay out of this." Damien played his usual role of the pessimist.

"I wish that wasn't true. I don't see any other way right now. Go clean up. Get some sleep. You are off duty tomorrow. Take advantage of the day off. And keep an eye on Eloise. She's not one to just forget what happened. Last thing we need is her to brood over this." Edwin gave the suggestion, though it was truly meant as order. Alayna and Damien understood what Edwin was getting at. As the trio headed out of the room, Edwin paused. He was learning how to find electricity, and was confused at first. Electronic devices all had a unique 'feel' to them, and he was trying to learn patterns. This was strange. High energy, and it was floating in the rafters. When he looked up, he thought he saw a flash of red light. Quickly the pattern changed. It was the same as the hanging lights above him. He shrugged it off as just trying to learn what was what. "I hope that sleep makes for good dreams."

* * *

* * *

* * *

"Morning crew. I know you took things hard yesterday, so I wanted to take some stress off your plates." 'The Stranger' had taken up his usual seat at the table, now accompanied by a small ornate glass.

"Is it something to do with what's on the schedule?" Edwin asked, deciding he was going to take the brunt of things for the group.

"Well, as a matter of fact, it does. I have you set to patrol, and I wanted to give you a heads up. I'm not going to retain the information. We have contacted this individual in the past. She is an interesting individual. She possess the ability to control metal. I'm hoping that now that she sees a real group, she will be more willing to join our cause." 'The Stranger' tried to put the group more at ease. It seemed to work, as everyone considered taking on a new friend.

"How much information do you have her? How willing will she be with more of us showing up?" Alayna jumped at the opportunity to bring a new member on board.

"We have a photo, and some basic data about her affinity. Not much past that. Her last seen coordinates are on the page." 'The Stranger' pulled out a folder full of pages.

"This looks like more than basic data. What all is this?" Alice looked at the stack as Edwin took hold of the folder.

"This is some of the articles and other sources of information about her. Gave us hints where to look, and we gathered a little more data ourselves." 'The Stranger' explained the impressive stack.

"Is there piles like theses on each of us?" Reggie looked nervous as if he was about to get caught. No one gave a second thought to his concern, as everyone else was asking the same question.

"Don't worry. Nothing this extensive. We didn't need to though. You all came much sooner than some others. So we stopped finding articles." 'The Stranger' put them at ease with his simple promise.

"Ok. Well, it's almost time for patrol. Reggie, Alice, and I have it today. Looks like we get to meet the new person. By the way, where did you get that glass? The wolf head is beautifully detailed. And the snowflakes are beautifully made." Edwin pointed out the small drinking glass by 'The Stranger'.

"It was a gift, from a friend. I was given it a long time ago." 'The Stranger eyed the glass with a long look. Like he missed some other world the glass took him to. No one pushed for details, and moved towards taking care of the day’s events.

* * *

* * *

* * *

"So, What does the file say about this potential candidate?" Edwin asked through the motorcycle helmet radio.

"Well, it says her affinity is metal. She can move, shape, and stop metal with her mind. It seems she is only recently gaining control of her powers. Doesn't know much about it herself." Alice was reading the page as Reggie drove the Thunder Bird.

"Any word on why she wouldn't join beforehand?" Edwin asked, concerned what would stop someone from learning their new powers. Granted, the world seemed less enchanting with recent events.

"She doesn't trust 'The Stranger'. At all. Claims he has plans and he won't share them." Alice replied, equally concerned with it.

"This is the place. I'm going to follow down the road. See if I see anything interesting. Let me know what you see." Edwin called over the radio.

"Um. . . I see something interesting." Reggie called out right away. The collaboration of metal inside the house was beyond interesting. It was almost mesmerizing.

"Well, this is interesting. I don't think I have ever seen metal shaped and built up like this. Like with a purpose." Alice stood almost drawn in by the maze like picture. Then everyone paused. It was beginning to take shape to their imaginations. 'HELP ME!' was the message on the wall. Put up with any metal the writer could find.

"I can't believe this. It is a cry for help. From what?" Reggie stood confused, concerned, and most of all cautious.

"Keep your guard up. Don't take anything for granted. Not even a call for help." Edwin stood sharp, though on the inside he was scared. If this is what this metal reaver could do, they were in for a bad skirmish.

"Shhhhhhh. In here." Alice quickly quieted the group when she looked in a room. Inside was a figure, hunched over. The ragged blond hair hung in a mess. "Who should talk to her?"

"Alice, take point. We will be right here. If you have trouble, make a small orb of light behind your back to warn us you feel you’re in trouble." Edwin gave the order, trying to plan a good way to save Alice should things go south.

"If you feel afraid don't. I'm not out to hurt you. Unless you try to force me." The small figure tilled her head. Slowly she stood up and turned around. "I have not changed my answer. And if you have to kill me in order to have this end, then you are in for a hell of a fight." She raised her arms like a puppeteer. Like she was ready to pull strings.

"We don't want a fight. But I want to ask, what do you think that man will do? What do you think he is planning?" Edwin tried to calm a problem getting ready to boil over.

"He has a future planned and won't say who is in and who is out. I don't like my life being in the hands of someone who won't tell me their name." The puppeteer stood tall. Defiant.

"May we have a moment?" Reggie looked at the small fighter in front of them. Trying to say what the other two wanted to, and give them space.

"Yes, but if I get the hint of trouble, you're going to find out what cold steel means." The defiant figure stood her ground, however unsure she may be underneath.

"We are not getting in a fight. She's not starting trouble. She's not hurting people. What is the point?" Edwin stood there, not ready to give in to idea that death is the only answer. "Walk away. I will solve this."

"Are you sure on this one? Or are you just playing hero?" Alice wanted to say more, but accepted the fact that Edwin was in charge.

"Point taken. Won't even know we are here." Reggie quickly followed the orders, wanting to get out of the lime light.

"I'm ready to talk. I need you to agree to one thing." Edwin walked back in, the small stranger looking back questioningly.

"What is your terms?" The sharp voice came back like a knife.

"One second." Edwin grabbed his ear wig and pulled it out. "Now that the world isn't listening, at least not well enough to find out what happened. Slam some metal around."

"What? Why?" She looked at him with a questioning look.

"Because I'm saving your life. And I need you to lose some metal and get off of it for a second. I'm going to throw a couple bolts of electricity. I want you to throw metal around and make noise. Scratch me if you want. I'm letting you out of here without a struggle, but you need to go underground. Hide somewhere else." Edwin tried to explain quickly, and quietly.

"Let's say I believe you want to help me. Why do this?" The reply was less sharp.

"Because if you don't disappear, we can't stop hunting you." Edwin laid out the clear problem.

"Fine. But I don't owe you anything, if you thought I was going to." Back to the sharp tone from the stranger.

"I don't." Edwin replied. They made the fight seem real. Even gave Edwin a mark or two on his cheek. Bruised his arm. "Ok. I'm going to leave. Wait for the sound of my motorcycle to come up. I will take you out of the city and into a small town I know. Stay there or move on, doesn't matter to me." Edwin walked out the door, put the ear wig in, and met Alice and Reggie outside.

"And? What's going on?" Reggie seemed concerned at the noise from inside.

"Well, it went as well as it sounds. I guess she thought I was by myself because I was foolish." Edwin held up his story he had just made, seeing if they would believe him.

"Well, it's unfortunate. She seemed like such a good person, just lost." Alice and Reggie went back to the car. "You on your way?"

"Yeah. I have a stop to make on the way back. Need to breathe a little bit after that." Edwin stood by the bike.

"Don't stay out too late. Make everyone worry." Reggie told him as he held out his hand. Edwin gave him the ear wig, appreciating his willingness to give him privacy. The pair made their way back, and Edwin quickly got the bike roaring.

"Glad you remembered to listen. Was afraid you made a new way out of there." Edwin told the girl as she got on the back of the bike.

"Well, maybe I owe you a little." She replied back. Edwin took her out to a small town. Familiar. Homey. Safe.

"Well, you can't call me if you get in trouble. Just don't forget me." Edwin dropped her off at an old church. A sign hung saying 151st. "Maybe we can be better friends at some point. All of us."

"Unless the world is turned upside down, I don't see it happening." The girl replied, sounding drained of hope.

"Who knows?" Edwin gave back the reply. Refusing to give up his hope. On the ride back, the day rolled in his head. He decided then and there, the only life he would take was the one who tried to kill him. He would not kill just because someone didn't agree with 'The Stranger'. If it wasn't self-defense, it wasn't going to happen. "It's not what I signed up for." Edwin muttered to himself.


	22. Civil disobediance

"Care to say what the ride was about?" Alayna was waiting in the garage. She found the other conversations were not of interest. Eloise was still in a sour mood. Damien was his usual non-inclusive self. Alice and Reggie were still a buzz from the events of the day. She hoped Edwin would provide more of a conversation then everyone else.

"Well, it depends. The real question is whether or not the ride was because I wanted to, or because something happened." Edwin replied with his usual cryptic answer. Alayna sometimes wondered if it was just a cover for his emotions, or just how he acted.

"If I assume it is because you wanted too, what's the answer?" Alayna decided to play along with the game.

"The answer is because I wanted to treat myself. Needed to clear the air after the fight. I don't like what had to happen." Edwin tried to give a grim response, though Alayna could see through the lie. Rather than push it, she just accepted the answer.

"Well in that case, I hope it was a good ride. Lord knows you of all people need to be careful of stress." Alayna decided she could play mind games right back.

"In my defense, it was a perfect storm. The world being turned upside down, Eloise missing Friday, and me feeling hurt about it was all setting up for a bad situation. But enough about me. What are you up to little Miss Rainy Day?" Edwin realized the choice of words, and how the words storm and rain seems strangely right to him.

"Well, I've been busy trying to keep myself sane. Not really in a talking mood with everyone else right now for one reason or another. I was in the bed room drawing some, then got bored. I think I saw something weird though. I was wandering the hall, when I noticed Reggie slip out of a room. It was all dark to I couldn't see inside, but he was adamant about not letting me in. Eloise is still angry. If you go anywhere near the bed room you'll hear nothing but loud, angry, and scary metal music."

"Oh, that would be either Metallica or Black Veil Brides. Only scary on the outside." Edwin laughed, knowing that it was just little sister trying to cope with the previous day. What she seemed to always miss was the fact that her coping method tends to make the world take three steps back and hide inside a bunker.

"Yeah, sure. Anyways, Damien is being Damien , making it difficult to hold a conversation with him. Alice seems open to talking, but I don't think I understood half of what she tried to talk to me about. It was something about stupid modeling programs and computer technical mojo not working how it should and she was planning on rebuilding the stupid thing herself. I would repeat the words she used, but I don't think I can pronounce half of them properly even after hearing them." Alayna seemed quite concerned at Alice's stress level. Edwin decided that a trip around the factory checking up on everyone was going to need to be a regular thing.

"Thanks for the update. And how's life in the world of Alayna?" Edwin tried to ask kindly, but realized the tone in his voice showed more interest than just concern. 'What was that from?' Before he answered himself, Alayna answered, apparently not recognizing the sound in his voice.

"Well, nothing crazy. I don't like what happened yesterday, but I'm no stranger to death. You seem rather unshaken despite what Alice and Reggie tell me. You're missing something." Alayna started to ask questions that Edwin wasn't prepared to answer yet.

"What are you talking about? What, am I supposed to be depressed and secluded like Eloise? Should I just pretend the world doesn't exist like Damien ? Not how I cope thank you." Edwin wanted to just open up about the truth, for some reason Alayna seemed like a good person to tell, but he didn't trust that the wrong ears weren't listening. "Let me just say that sometimes I take the civil disobedience rout."

"You didn't, did you?" Alayna put the puzzle together and realized what happened in that shack. "Your ear wig didn't slip out during the fight. You left her ali---." Edwin quickly covered Alayna's mouth before she finished her accusation.

"Don't say it out loud. If he wants people dead for not joining, what do you think he will do to someone in the ranks? I'll get better treatment if I was a P.O.W." Edwin's look spelled out his fear like a book. But in his fear, defiance stood tall. Killing a lonely, small, weak girl in an abandoned building was not going to fly with him. "I am begging you. For my life, and the life of that poor girl. If you saw her, you wouldn't have been able to do it either. I think you would fold knowing what that life does to you."

"Fine." Alayna lowered her gaze. Having such an intense stare right at her was not her cup of tea. "So now I'm guilty by association."

"No. I will not take anyone with me. Least of all someone willing to risk their neck for me. We should go. The others are probably going to wonder what you and I are up to. Don't want to give them the wrong idea." Edwin smiled at the thought. Like anyone would expect a girl as nice as Alayna to get comfy with him. She blushed at the comment, and Edwin caught a smile on the still scared face.

"Well, we don't want them wondering that do we?" The smile stayed. Edwin quietly thought to himself, 'I thought I was the only one who could make sparks. Seems this girl knows how to shock even me.'

"Yes well, shall we go? I mean alone of course. Together, but alone. Let's just walk out the door." Edwin fumbled over words. Probably sounding like an idiot at that moment.

"Yeah. I like that plan." Alayna couldn't help but notice Edwin's ears turning bright red. He was nervous, but why? Was it something she said? All she knew is he seemed in a flirty mood.

"I need to go check up on little sister. See you at dinner." Edwin tripped over himself waking out the door.

"You better. This conversation is far from over." Alayna whispered back.


	23. Moth and the Flame.

Eloise sat there dancing a flame around. Somehow, the strangest thing kept happening. The faces of the two reavers kept appearing in the flame. She saw the faces of horror realizing the fate they were about to be dealt. Fire. Essential to life, and yet so apt to end it. "Is this what I am to become? Death's tool? A blaze to burn out anyone who defies us?"

"They say the hottest fire makes the purest gold." Damien surprised Eloise by sneaking up on her. "Looking for my tools. The van sounds like it could use a tune up, and Edwin wanted me to help him with the bike. Surprised he will let me touch the thing."

"Hello to you to. Glad to know you can knock on the door." Eloise quickly let go of the fire when she heard Damien come in. The last thing she wanted was others knowing the faces were in the flames. "Care to explain your statement?"

"It's self-explanatory. A regular flame won't even start to clean gold. You need a hot flame to even begin to melt gold, and draw off the impurities. The hotter the fire, the more impurities you can draw off. The world is a crucible, and you are the flame." Damien put the best spin he could with his glass completely empty view point.

"You seem to imply that the people we are hunting are less than human. They are a sickness and it's our job to fight the disease. Why aren't they human? Why don't they have a right to live?" Eloise tried to defy the thought that a human couldn't have value.

"My point is you can't take their deaths to heart. Don't forget what I said. They attacked us. Without any warning. That pair was an example of the scum that lives on the streets. The scum I dealt with living on the streets. Two less of them trying to harm others sounds alright to me. I just think you should put it in perspective. If anything, feel bad for Edwin. He fought some poor lost girl on his own, and he had to start the fight." Damien tried to put a more understandable view on their deaths.

"Edwin is back? When was someone going to tell me? Better yet, why isn't he here?" Eloise shot up from her bed.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Slow down. Don't you think he might need a moment to process also? Not to mention Alayna seemed to be doing a good job in making Edwin not feel so bad. Not to mention the long ride he took. Sounds like he went out by some small town. Fraser I think he said." Damien tried to prevent hasty thinking and actions, but found himself making Eloise all the more eager to get out.

"Did you say Fraser? Why did Edwin go to Fraser?" Eloise was all the more eager to interrogate big brother on his long ride.

"You make it sound like going out to some small town is so strange." Damien was confused why Fraser triggered such quick response.

"Never mind. I'm fine now. I need to find out what's going on. Thanks for the pep talk." Eloise decidedly avoided the subject of her bad mood along with the conversation as a whole. Damien caught Eloise's arm.

"Look, I know you are concerned about things with Edwin, but I think brushing off your own issues is not the way to go with this. It's one thing to want to help, but when you are dealing too, accepting advice can be just as important for everyone as giving advice." Damien calmly sent the message. Eloise may be immune to burning, but not being burnt out.

"Thanks. I get the point." Eloise sat back down. Trying to slow her mind down a touch. Suddenly the fire floated again. This time when she got up, it was slowed. The fire was clear. No face, no looks of pain. Just a purified fire. Perfect to purify the world. "I think I'm good now. Ready to figure the world out."

"Glad to help. Sometimes you have to stop and look at what good you do. Even if it seems cold. There's always a reason things happen the way they do." Damien stood there, acting like it was nothing. Eloise managed to do something no one has done in a long time. Catch Damien off guard. She quickly made her way over to him and hugged him. She quickly disengaged, realizing how surprised Damien was. They both blushed as they avoided eye contact. "Ehm. Uh, yeah. Like I said. Your welcome." Damien finally got out as he slowly shuffled out of the room. Eloise stood there for a second.

"That was, different. I might have to do that again sometime." Eloise grinned thinking about what just happened. "Sometime."


	24. Another Day, Another Lightbulb.

Alice sat in her room, reading the latest letter from her sister Lily. The pair tried to keep in contact as much as possible, which mostly meant Alice using whatever time she got to respond to Lily, who always seemed to write and send a reply before Alice could reread the last letter again. As part of the fun, and to slow down Lily's reading, they started to send riddles back and forth. Alice usually had to think for a while before sending a riddle worthy of keeping her sister entertained, but it was a start. The latest response had Alice stumbling over an answer for a few days. 'You have a single match. You have a torch, a water heater, and a furnace to light. What do you light first?' She tried asking some of the team members, and got some interesting answers. Eloise, of course, gave her version of the simple answer.

"I would just make a fire ball and use it to light them simultaneously." The reply came back with a grin. Eloise knew that wasn't the answer Alice was looking for, but didn't have a better one to give.

"You could light the torch first. That way you stick the torch in the furnace and water heater afterwards and get them going." Reggie replied, taking the obvious answer. Alice still couldn't figure it out, and it seemed like it was missing an element. Edwin seemed on the ball with this puzzle, as he just smiled when he heard Alice ask Damien . Damien's reply was less than enthusiastic. Not lighting anything was definitely not the answer. Then Edwin walked over and pointed out a better question.

"Which came first? The chicken or the egg? You have a match, a torch, a water heater, and a furnace. Which of these items do you light first." Edwin's simply revision of the question got the gears turning.

"The match, so you can light something else!" Alice let out a shout for joy realizing the simplicity of the trick. Alice planned to have an equally tricky puzzle for her sister when she replied. It was weird. Being away. Alice sometimes wandered off in the factory to think alone. Too much socializing stressed her out. Peace, quiet, and thinking were therapeutic to her day. But even that didn't trump the desire to see her family. Once they joined the team, all ties were close to severed. One question still hung on her mind, maybe just a hope of seeing her sister. Was it possible that Lily and her younger sister Kristen also be reavers? What would they be able to do? Would they be the same affinity as Alice, or something else? Would it manifest the same? Wielding light as an object, or something different. It was an idea she tumbled in her head over and over. Well, they are a few years younger than me. Maybe they just don't have it developed yet, the way I do. Maybe it's an age thing. Who knows? Alice decided to finish the thought on a good note. No matter what, it was her family. If she had to be the one to protect her family, she would gladly do it.

"Hey, what are you up to? All the way up here." Edwin shocked Alice without even using his electricity.

"Nothing. Just thinking." Alice gave the short reply, wondering what Edwin was up to. He seemed especially alive as of late. Eloise claimed that he had taken a liking to Alayna recently. Edwin also was taking the leadership position as an excuse to talk to everyone regularly. How can you lead without knowing what's going on with the team?

"Well, be careful about too much thinking. Thinking tends to have two outcomes. Acting on thinking, or not acting on thinking. I find both have equal potential to grant both success and regret in life." Edwin gave the sober comment all too cheery.

"I take it your thinking has been the former as of late?" Alice was wondering what had him in such a good mood.

"Let's just say that the world doesn't have to be so horribly lonely after all." Edwin gave the response with an overly happy tone.

"Yes, well, I will make sure to keep that in mind with my thinking. And I will make sure to be extra careful about my thinking. You know you only get so many a day." Alice decided to accept the happy demeanor willingly.

"Well then, I'll let you get back to thinking. I got places to go, people to see, things to do, thoughts to think." Edwin skillfully slid down the metal support beam, seeming to have a slight lag to his decent. Almost like a slight break was put on gravity.

"So that's how you got up here. Learning electro magnetics I see. Good use of time." Alice thought aloud. Suddenly it came to her. The riddle for Lily. Alice grabbed a letter and quickly began to scribble down a reply to Lily. "Hope you enjoy this one." Alice was so enthused with her writing she failed to notice a small red dot slowly rising into the rafters.

"Make sure to look into the personal lives of these people. See if we can use that as an advantage in our goals." The command came from man in the control center.

"Affirmative." The small red dot responded, preparing to extract data from sources. "Does this mean I should begin contacting subject Storm?"

"Yes. Send a recall notice. I want her in my office tomorrow morning." The dark voice replied.

"Affirmative." The radio response came back through.


	25. Blood and Water.

"We have a new assignment for you Storm. It involves your brother." The man greeted the small blond woman standing in the control room waiting for him. "I believe you know about the new subjects. We have made considerable steps without using the mind control, or memory replacement. Care to give an assessment?"

"Semi optimistic. Maybe this group will pan out without any forceful measures. But then I might get lonely being the only one with a robot in my head." The woman gave the reply with as much hope and spite as you could find together.

"Yes, well, you have adjusted well. It's no longer a constant whisper. You are adjusted to following orders without force very well." The man took comment without even thinking of the tone it was given. "It's true, Storm, you are one of the few people we have around with such measures taken. You are also one of the most valuable, not to mention one of our oldest projects." The word was left to hang to prove he still held dominance. Project. All she was in the end.

"I'm guessing there is a reason you called me up here besides to ask what I think of the pip squeaks. I figured you had one of them in mind to talk about." Storm wanted to end the talk as quickly as possible. She was on a leash, but she still was allowed some freedom when her services were not being required of her.

"Yes. I want you to tell me about Edwin. You two share an affinity. Will this be a complication should we need you to terminate him?" The man asked the question like he was asking if Storm could be trusted to change the light bulb in the next room.

"I don't see why it would be. I don' use shock as a weapon, I use it as an amplifier. I'll punch the stupid look he's going to give me into next week. Won't know what, or remember who hit him." Storm seemed to enjoy the idea of battering Edwin.

"Good. Oh, but we also want to entertain the idea of using technics on him to keep him on our side. Do you think he will survive the ordeal?" The man changed the mood of the whole conversation with that question.

"Yes. Edwin may not be as strong as me physically, but he is mentally able to take that punishment. I would say two weeks. Maybe three. He'll be under your thumb." The calculating response came back without a second thought on the matter.

"Good. I thought making this a family matter would keep things interesting. Should I stop calling you Storm? Call you by your real name?" The man smiled as he threw the truest wound she still carried. She forgot that other side. The name she knew, Storm even remembered some of what happened in that life. But the personality that made those memories was buried deep inside. No hope of being let out.

"No. I don't think that would be wise. It may work against the memory suppression. I don't want to be locked up again for a week trying to straighten out." Storm took a second. Her hairs traded a few small bolts of electricity when she thought of it.

"Well, I guess I understand that. I just want you to know you will hear that name. Edwin will say it. And when he does, how will you reply?" The man gave the question of loyalty as if it was the only thing he cared about.

"I will look him in the eye, walk up to him, and whisper in his ear this response. I am no longer the person you knew. I am no longer your sister. I am no longer Jasmin. My name is Storm." The cold reply hung in the air. The electric charge dropped off.

"Good. You may leave. Stay close. I hope to make moves by the end of the month." The man waved to the door, and gave one last empty smile. "All the pieces fall in place.


	26. Where the Apple Falls.

"Hey, Eloise, have you seen the line up this week?" Alayna walked in the girls bed room where Eloise was still getting ready for the rest of the day.

"No I haven't. But the coffee hasn't kicked in, so I haven't been much of anywhere except to make breakfast. Why?" Eloise gave the groggy response. Mornings were not her friend.

"We all have solo missions." Alayna pointed to the weeks schedule and had a concerned look on her face.

"What? We barely got out of our fight alive. Edwin was lucky that girl was weak from living on the streets. Sounds like that metal reaver really gave him a run for his money.

"Edwin's is why I'm concerned the most. We all have solos, but they are at least without a definite target. Mostly just intelligence gathering. Edwin has a target." Alayna tried to have some confidence in her voice, but the concern outweighed it by far.

"When is his run?" Eloise finished getting ready quickly, and woke up more than the coffee ever would help.

"Today. In about an hour." Alayna gave the reply, and Eloise rushed to leave the room. No way she was going to miss big broth leaving for a solo.

"What are you thinking?" Eloise rushed in the garage, where Edwin was getting the bike ready to go. Damien had been helping to make some finishing touches. "You can't go out alone. Not on a mission. Not with a target."

"That's what the schedule says. I don't know why 'The Stranger' is pushing this so hard, but he is. Not about to argue with him. You saw what happened last time we argued it." Edwin was lacing up his gauntlets, no sign of arguing the situation.

"I'm going with you then. You are so not going out without me today. I don't like this. It stinks of a trap." Eloise ran over to the locker room to grab her stuff. Something seemed wrong that Edwin was the only one with a target.

"There's no point. Either you try to follow me, at which point we both get in trouble, or you argue it with 'The Stranger'. At which point it will take so long I go out by myself. Just stay here. I'll be fine. Honest." Edwin used his calmest voice he could manage to calm little sisters worry.

* * *

* * *

* * *

"You're coming up on the location momentarily. Park your bike by that house on the right. Start from there." Alice's voice came over the radio.

"Ok. Will do. What's the targets name again? Since we have a name on file." Edwin was surprised to see a name was included. Usually 'The Stranger' didn't bother finding out any name for these people. It was considered unnecessary.

"Storm. Probably an alias. No clue what the real name was. Description is a bit shy this time. Shorter woman. Blond hair. Wears a skull mask on her face. Looks like a small build. Nimble. Be careful on this one, she might be fast." Alice gave the less then spectacular description.

"Well, at least we have an important thing to look out for. Find a masked woman and start a conversation. Looks totally normal right?" Edwin sarcastically replied to the file information, and voiced everyone's thought. This was going to be far from covert. "I'm going to go silent now. I'll radio if I need anything." Edwin turned the radio piece off. Didn't want to get caught off guard because his radio gave him away. While there weren't many buildings, Edwin was concerned about size. They all looked like they were at least 3 stories, not to mention large enough to hold a maze inside each one. The first one across the street was thankfully void of most walls. It was separated into three rooms that he could see. The front and back door had a small landing, and inside was an empty space. As if to amplify the void, there was no upper floors. Just rafters hanging at various levels. The concrete building and metal cross beams suggested industrial work. Not clear what kind though. Out of the corner of his eye, Edwin caught a small figure run by. "Who was that?"

"Glad to see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." The mysterious voice of a woman echoed around the room. Edwin's eyes adjusted, and he noticed that a few half walls and columns were around, colored just as dark as the walls.

"Who are you? What are you doing inside here?" Edwin called out, wishing he had caught a glimpse at the face of his taunting company.

"Waiting for you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am storm. Glad to see you made it on time." The woman walked out from behind a column. "I'm guessing you're here to bring me in. Or to execute me. Sorry to inform you pip squeak, you aren't doing either."

"How did you know I was coming?" Edwin shifted his left for to take a stance, concerned the factories cover was blown.

"Talk is cheap when the story is good. Word has it you might be a rival to me. So I put out some hints to attract you. Heard you had a boss, made sure to have someone whisper in his ear that I wanted this fight. Alone. Glad to see he has such confidence in you. This should be fun." The woman smiled under her skull mask. It covered her forehead, nose, and cheeks. Her mouth was visible underneath the façade. Edwin suddenly made out the shape. It was not a human skull. It was a cat skull. Big enough to be a cheetah or a cougar. "Shall we dance?"

"I guess that's how you want to do things." Edwin raised his arms up ready to watch and react. The woman crouched down low, like she was trying to hold down something under her. She jumped into a front flip much faster than Edwin expected and almost caught him on the top of his head. He quickly raised his gauntlets to block the blow, and was surprised to find a charge left on them. The woman jumped off from his gauntlets back in front of Edwin. She smiled like she was playing cat and mouse.

"What's the matter? Thought you were the only one with a liking to electricity? See why you are just a possible rival to me?" Storm spat out at Edwin. She quickly closed the gap again, running up to a column on Edwin's right side. She jumped up and off the pillar at Edwin, this time with a charged fist coming down at him. Edwin sidestepped the blown, and was nicked on his left shoulder. Strangely enough, the charge made it hurt a little. To anyone else it would have burned and paralyzed the victim. Edwin was thankful that his specialty was electricity. It seemed to give more of a force to Storm's punches though.

"I see how you play. Looks like I can't just put you to sleep like I can other fights." Edwin prepared for the next blows, getting ready to use his gauntlets to his advantage. Storm took the bait and rushed in for a pair of quick jabs. Edwin caught the first with his gauntlet, brushed the second arm aside, and jabbed back with a shocking punch. The electricity didn't have the same effect as Storm's did, but the gauntlet did what he wanted. The short spike that pointed out over his knuckles made contact, tearing at Storms coat. It hit some hard resistance when it tried to dig towards her stomach area, and stopped far sooner than Edwin planned. Storm took a mental note to wear something more durable next time she fought Edwin.

"Nice try. What's the matter, don't have the oomph I do? Did you try not sucking?" Storm mocked Edwin's try at copying her moves.

"Why not make it even Steven? Drop the body armor and see how this fight goes?" Edwin kept his cool for this fight. Last thing he wanted was to draw a lot of attention by going wolf out in the city. Not to mention the physical drain it takes on him.

"How about no. How about I choose not to kill you this time when you lose?" Storm sent back the reply with more confidence then she needed. Edwin quickly shifted his feet into a stockier stance. Ready to take a blow and stand his ground. Storm gave a quick sprint towards Edwin, then dropped into a slide kick, ready to sweep his legs out. Edwin grabbed the front leg and rolled over Storms body, flipping her over his head when Edwin landed back on his feet. The impact to the ground did the job. Storm was slow to get up and held a hand to the back of her head. "Oh. Stupid boy. You'll pay for that one."

"Looks like you already footed the bill for me." Edwin pushed his words to sound as confident as he meant them to be. Storm quickly got into a running position for another charge. This time she pulled out a pair of small metal rods and charged them for an overhead swing. Edwin ducked down and slid under his assailant, tripping her up on the way. Storm planted the rods in the ground two inches deep, a sign of the force she had ready, and cartwheeled over them. The last flip ended near a pillar, and she used it to jump into a roll towards Edwin. The punch to his stomach nearly knocked the wind out of him, but gave him an idea.

"What's the matter? Can't believe little old me put up such a fight? Maybe you lost your touch." Edwin hopped he wasn't pushing his luck. Storm yelled out an angry scream at the thought of this weakling was taunting him right back. She ran head first at Edwin, getting ready for a jumping kick at his face. Edwin saw it coming and stepped out of the way, revealing the column of concrete behind him. Storm slammed into the pillar, trapping herself inside of it and nearly breaking her leg.

"That's it!" She screamed as Edwin saw bad signs. Her hair started to stand on end, and long sparks of electricity jumped from hair to hair. Her full body was charged, and she broke free from the concrete like cannon ball. The sheer speed scared Edwin, but he counted one good thing. She wasn't a giant electric animal. This he could use. Edwin ducked under the first set of punches Storm aimed at him, and rolled over to a pillar. Using his gauntlets and the metal support beams, he used his electromagnetism to pull himself up to the next level. Storm quickly gave a forceful jump up and landed on the same level as Edwin. The three foot wide support was enough to stand on, and not much else. Edwin continued to avoid the attacks and climb up. After about the third or so climb, Storm seemed to slow a tad bit. This is what Edwin was looking for.

"Why not just jump up under me and knock me off my feet?" Edwin pointed to the bottom of the beam he was on, while Storm looked up. She took the bait and tried to hit the strut and knock Edwin off. Edwin grabbed her arm, used the strut as a pivot point, and swung her up, over, and back down the other side of the metal beam. Edwin quickly let go, grabbing onto the metal with as much grip as magnetism. Storm fell the full 15 feet, landed a summersault, and went feet first into a pillar. She got up and looked at Edwin.

"What? What do you mean disengage? I have him! Fine." Storm shouted at the air. She quickly made a break for the door, and got out before Edwin could drop down to the bottom level safely. No sign. No trail. By the time he was out the door the attacker had left.

"Who are you?" Edwin puzzled at the sudden leaving. Deciding not to hang around, he quickly turned the radio back on. "Hey, who's listening?"

"I'm on duty Edwin." Eloise's voice came in. "Been waiting for you to turn your radio back on. Had me concerned. Your tracker was fading in and out. Electrical distortion apparently."

"Yeah, make sure everyone is ready when I get back. We have some talking to do." Edwin gave the order with urgency. "I'm on my way back. See you there." Edwin hopped on the bike and revved it up again. "Who are you? What tree does the apple not fall far from?"

"Fine. But first sign of trouble and I'm coming out there." Eloise accepted Edwin's stubbornness as a chance for him to prove his skill.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine. Besides, with me gone you're holding down the fort. Can't let anyone mess up home while I'm out." Edwin laughed trying to improve the mood. Didn't work quite so well. "It's time for me to run. I'll stay in touch." The engine roared to live as Edwin started it up.


	27. Siren Song

Edwin arrived back at the factory, anger boiling to the point of scaring everyone as soon as the door opened up. Luckily the bike didn't explode under him from the sparks. "Meeting. Now." Edwin stormed past the group waiting at the garage door and into the hall. "We have a problem. I believe you have some explaining to do." Edwin tried to keep his voice calm despite the raising charge on his body.

"May I ask what the subject of my explanation is?" 'The Stranger' stood in the hall talking with Tinker Bell. It looked like they were taking a walk to discuss the weather when Edwin showed up.

"How does she know my name? How did she know I was coming? AND HOW THE HELL DID SHE KNOW WE ARE WORKING FOR YOU?" Edwin was so angry at the situation he failed to notice the light bulbs bursting from the overload.

"Well, being that you have been out on the streets a couple times now, and you earned quite a reputation with your two fights, it's a small wonder people know about you. She probably anticipated your arrival because of how we operate. We gathered information and sent you out to where she was last seen. So she probably lied in wait till you came. As far as knowing you are working with me, I don't know what to tell you. I may not have told you my real name, but I do have one. Where do you think the money comes from? I am a wealthy business owner. It's no small coincidence that a military grade renovated factory belongs to one of the world’s top defense companies." 'The Stranger' tried to calmly answer Edwin, and to lower the tension level. The last part didn't sit well with anyone though.

"Is that all we are? A test for new weapons? You want some new super soldier to sell to the highest bidder?" Edwin was trying very hard to not let everything explode inside the factory, but the whole situation was not relieving any steam.

"Edwin. Calm down." Damien tried very ineffectively to get Edwin to notice how close to blowing his top he looked.

"Hey. Big Brother! Mind taking this outside? Edwin?" Eloise grew more and more concerned. If Edwin was ignoring what everyone was saying, he was far angrier then she thought. "HEY! EDWIN! CALM DOWN!" Eloise tried in vain to get Edwin's attention. Even running in between Edwin and 'The Stranger' to catch his attention didn't work. The storm swirling in his eyes was something Eloise had only seen once before. It was after Edwin found out Jasmin was going to California with the kids. The thought of not seeing not only his sister but also the nieces and nephew was not one he agreed with.

"Edwin." The quite scared voice of Alayna came though barely loud enough to hear over the sparks. "Edwin. Listen to my voice. Forget the storm. Forget everything else. Focus on my voice." Edwin started to lower his guard, the more and more Alayna spoke out to him. "Please drop you guard. Let go of the whole thing. We will work this out. As a group. I promise."

"Holy. . ." Damien , Reggie, and Alice all stood there dumbfounded. Eloise knew what was going on, and decided to stay out of the way.

"Now. Edwin. I'm going to walk up to you. I'm going to give you a hug. No one is going to hurt you. Just listen to my voice and everything will be ok." Alayna slowly walked up to Edwin from behind. She kept mumbling words that only Edwin seemed to hear. As she was getting ready to hug Edwin, the charge just disappeared.

"Now. Do you have anything else you want to say right now?" Alayna turned Edwin's face to look in his eyes. The storm was replaced with the calm blue sea everyone was used to.

"This conversation is not over. We need work out what happened and how to prevent it." Edwin looked back at 'The Stranger', who was now fascinated by the soothing voice that calmed the beast about to tear out the world's heart.

"We can do that. How about we go to the medical room and get you looked at? Make sure everything is ok on the inside. OK?" Alayna took Edwin by the hand and walked him off towards the med bay, while everyone but Eloise sat there surprised.

"I always knew he would fall for another blonde." Eloise smiled, knowing exactly what was going through Edwin's mind.

"Wait a minute. What? What just happened?" Reggie stood there confused to what just transpired.

"I believe we just witnessed The Siren's Song calm another storm." Alice stood there not sure how else to describe what they just saw. Eloise smiled. The water wielding mistress would make a good sister-in-law. The irony of the connection to the mythical sea witch calming a raging storm made it all the more appropriate. Everyone else decided to wander off, though not in the direction of the med bay. Edwin and Alayna arrived without another incident.

"Thank you. I was in a bad spot there. I guess I found my siren." Edwin laughed at the comment he heard Alice make as they left.

"Well, don't worry. I won't draw you up to the rocks." Alayna started to help Edwin take his outer gear off. She unlaced his gauntlets, helped take off Edwin's padded vest. She noticed bruises starting to form on his shoulder, face, and upper arms. "Damn. How bad did she beat you?"

"Eh. Not bad. Nothing I can't handle." Edwin sat on the examination bed. The winces of pain from Alayna checking for broken bones and other injuries proved otherwise.

"Well, looks like your suit managed to take the majority of the force. Nothing is broken. Nothing is dislocated. Just bruised up one side and down the other." Alayna took a look at Edwin's face before she got ready to walk out. She could tell something was still gnawing at him, but decided to not push it.

"Thank you. Again. I'm glad to know that everyone cares so much. Even if we are a bit dysfunctional." Edwin laughed at the thought. They were all ready to die for each other. They didn't have anyone else.

"You're welcome. I'll get Eloise in here. She can help patch you up. Maybe some heat will help loosen you up." Alayna got ready to walk out of the room to find Eloise. As she was walking out the door, Edwin reached out to her arm. She paused, wondering what he was about to do. Alayna turned to face Edwin. Suddenly she found herself in a warm hug and a soft kiss. Alayna stood there, not sure how to react. Surprised? Happy? Scared? All of the above? Edwin opened his eyes back up and saw Alayna was confused about it all. He quickly let go and stepped back. They both stood awkwardly, staring at each other.

"Ehm. Yeah. Uh. I guess you should go get Eloise." Edwin was getting ready to get back in the examination bed. Now it was his turn to be shocked. Alayna took a few steps back over to him and returned the kiss right back. As they both looked at each other’s faces, they both realized that Eloise would have a hay day if she walked in.

"I'll go get her now." Alayna walked out of the room heart beating wildly. Edwin sat on the bed trying to get the red out of his ears and cheeks.

"And I thought I was the only one who made sparks." Edwin laughed.


	28. To each their own burden.

"Well. That was a close call. And we kept most of the light bulbs. I think I said this before, I'll say it again. Remind me not to scratch the bike. Ever." Damien stood there with an abnormal look. Few things scared the street groomed fighter. One of them was the storm he noticed Edwin turned into.

"Yeah, but it could have been avoided. This feels sloppy. Or set up. Can't decide which yet. Edwin said this Storm person ran off after talking to someone he couldn't hear, or see. Probably an ear wig. We might not be the only ones playing in the playground." Eloise stood there hating to see big brother in that way. Good thing Alayna was there, which reminded her. "Alayna just called me. I'm going to see what's up." Eloise started to walk towards the med bay, when Damien caught her arm.

"Hey. Stop by my room afterwards. I want to talk to you about something." Damien had a look of concern on his face. Eloise wasn't sure why, but agreed all the same.

"The doctor is in. What's up?" Eloise stepped in the room expecting to see a bad scene. "Well, you got an acute case of being battered by a reaver, extreme stubbornness to getting help, and what have we here. A broken rib. Clean break, number 3. Right side. Probably from one of those times you blocked a kick just a little too low. Alayna, can you grab some of the some of the wrappings over there?" Eloise pointed to the large bandage strips she planned to use to make a chest wrap. Good thing she took an interest in first aid from a young age. That and Tinker Bell was helpful learning how to make different emergency treatments. "Hello? Anyone home?" Eloise waved her hand in front of Alayna. She finally snapped out of looking at Edwin. Alayna and Edwin both blushed and Eloise looked at the pair. "I'm not going to ask."

"I'll get those right away." Alayna ran over and grabbed the wrappings.

"Ok. I lied. What did you two do? You both got a case of stupid with a dose of distracted by the other." Eloise looked at the pair, who continued to turn red. Edwin's ears were cherry colored at this point. "You didn't, did you? You kissed her didn't you? Are you crazy? What were you thinking? You let him kiss you? Where did I go wrong?" Eloise kept asking questions that neither Edwin nor Alayna could even answer. "When did you plan to tell me you have a massive crush on Alayna? I knew you were taking a liking to the girl, but apparently I quit paying attention about a month ago."

"Well, I would have told you the moment I figured it out. I was just distracted by the fact that I just figured it out and wasn't sure what to do. So, I kissed her." Edwin stood there taking all the blame.

"The feeling is mutual though. I just didn't know how to act on things. So, I kept my mouth shut." Alayna stood there looking at her feet, like she just noticed they were there.

"You, you're so not getting away with this. We are talking about this later Edwin." Eloise pointed at Edwin and gave him a look like she was his mom. "You and I are going to town with Alice and celebrating later. About time one of us admitted liking someone." Eloise hugged Alayna like she just found her long lost sister.

"So, I get the 3rd degree and you guys go partying?" Edwin stood there feeling shafted.

"Well, you're hurt. So you need to take it easy the next few days." Eloise decided to give Edwin a good reason to stay home.

"I'm fine. Really. I'm fi. . ." Edwin winced trying to get up. "Maybe I'm not perfectly fine."

"No. You aren't. But you can still be given the 3rd degree. Best part, if you try to argue with me, it will hurt you more than me." Eloise smiled at the win-win situation for her. "Now, I have someone else to talk to. I better not have a niece or nephew in nine months."

"We didn't do that!" Alayna cried out in protest. Eloise walked out with a 'you better behave' attitude. She started walking towards Damien's room. Inside, she found Damien inside, sorting tools.

"What's up?" Eloise knocked on the door and walked in to the room.

"What was that earlier? Why did you stand between Edwin and 'The Stranger'? Better yet, why did you stay there?" Damien closed the door and quickly got to the point.

"He's my brother. I thought I would calm him down." Eloise stood there blindsided and defensive.

"He didn't step down. He looked like was not about to be stopped even with you standing there. You should have gotten out of the way. Edwin might have killed you with 'The Stranger'. Ever think of that?" Damien made his point very clear and sharp.

"I guess I didn't think he would ever do that. Not to me." Eloise stood there obviously thinking over the whole situation with a clearer head.

"You have to consider the anger Edwin is holding in. He has 15 years of abandonment issues and stress rolling around in his head. Did you consider that maybe everything built up and blinded him to who he was about to hurt?" Damien started to show the concern on his face, along with part of his motive.

"Wait. Why do you seem so concerned over me? Alayna risked her neck too. She tried to pull his attention away. She even grabbed him first. If anything Alayna took more of a risk then I did. But then again you don't have an eye for Alayna. But you have an eye for me." Eloise put two and two together. "You were scared I would get hurt. You care about me."

"Yes. I do. A lot. More than I care about the others. Even if Edwin is your brother, I don't think that will block out the rage. He has found someone who he loves. It looks like I have also." Damien stood there not sure how to handle feelings.

"So the feeling is mutual. I thought it was. Wanted to see if you would make a move." Eloise stood there smiling. Damien blushed a little.

"So how do we act? What do we do?" Damien stood there worrying about what this meant for the team.

"Well, I could pull a page from Big Brothers book." Eloise said walking over to Damien . Softly, she reached up to hold his face. Slowly Damien leaned over a little towards Eloise. The pair looked each other in the eye one last moment before closing them and kissing. Eloise started to warm up. Damien didn't seem to care at all, till it started to get really hot in the room. "Oops. My bad." Eloise stood there with smoke literally rising up from her hair.

"It's ok. The warmth is nice." Damien stood there blushing now more than ever. The pair smiled and look at each other for a second. Eloise started to walk out when Damien stopped her. "Please, stay safe. Let Alayna take care of Edwin and his anger. The girl seems to have the siren song he likes." Damien laughed at the nick name.

"I'll try. Key word. Try." Eloise finished walking out. Heart fluttering. Damien was similarly confused, but happy.

"Have to try that again." He muttered to himself.


	29. Good Deed for the Day.

Alice had been wandering around the factory for about an hour now. Despite all the looking, Reggie eluded her. She wanted to ask a question when it seemed Reggie finally found a way to teleport himself away. "Have you seen Reggie?" Alice found Eloise walking towards the boy’s room.

"No. I haven't. I think today is his free day. May have gone looking for trouble. Or something good with his time." Eloise replied to Alice.

"Well, I guess I'll figure out what's up. I'll let you get back to your day." Alice started to head towards the girl’s bedroom. "Maybe I should try to call him." The phone started to ring, and Alice was waiting for a response. It jumped to his answering machine right away like his phone was off. The message said more than enough though.

"I'm out doing my good deed for the day. Please leave a message after the censoring sound for the swear word every phone says." Reggie's voice came through.

"Well, I guess I'll have to ask him later if he knows where my Victorian hair brush went." Alice started to wander some more, looking around in the rooms.

* * *

* * *

* * *

"Nothing up my sleeve. Nothing in my coat. Only behind your back. Now, open your palms and put them forward." Reggie was talking to a small child in the pediatric area of the hospital. Every once and awhile, Reggie would visit the place. Something about the kids drew him back. Maybe the sad cases he heard. The show he put on for the patients. Just an excuse to use his powers in public. Who knew? All he knew was it felt good.

"Wait. Where's the pen?" The little boy cried out. Reggie found it good practice also. Learning how to drop object without anyone knowing it.

"It's right here." Reggie lifted his foot and let the pen drop out of his pant leg.

"How did it get there?" The little boy still couldn't believe the physically unbelievable. That was the trick. None of this should be possible, unless you have the right talent.

"Run along now. I think you parents are waiting in your room." Reggie pointed out the child's room. "Let's see. Who else looks like they could use some fun?"

"Hey Reggie. Glad to see you around again." A young girl walked down the hall, dresses in a lab coat and with a trainee nametag on.

"Hey Kiara. I see they are keeping you busy now. I remember when you hung around the teen patients while your mom worked the floor. Now you made it an occupation." Reggie smiled thinking back to when he first started to learn his skill. The hospital visits and "Magic" show seemed like a good way to experiment.

"Well, if you love your job, you won't work a day in your life." Kiara gave Reggie a hug and could tell he was reminiscing. "Speaking of which, what are you doing with your life?"

"Oh, you know. Magic here. Knife throwing there. Turns out a good knife thrower mixed with magic is actually a good combination." Reggie tried to not give away his new life. He trusted Kiara, but didn't want anyone to hurt her. Or any of the patients for that matter.

"Well, I thought I would tell you what you missed. Daniel is out now. His leg healed nicely. He starts physical therapy next week. Nancy is home. The surgery went well, and she recovered perfectly. Doctors are hoping her cancer is in remission." Kiara was looking at the list of kids who left since Reggie was there last.

"What about Jack?" Reggie recalled the small boy with a brain tumor. Despite the poor odds, the little boy never lost hope. Even when his parents cried at the diagnosis, he sat there with a fighting look in his eyes.

"He didn't make it through chemo. Two weeks of it and his body shut down." Kiara looked out the window, remembering the last couple hours of Jack's life.

"He went out fighting. No better way to go." Reggie looked down the hall at all the children. He knew which ones had cancer. Which ones had poor odds.

"You do good work here. I should let you get back to it. Maybe this ray of joy is what keeps so many of them fighting." Kiara started to walk off.

"Hey, I need to tell you something. If I quit showing up and you don't hear anything, don't worry. Don't look for me. Just forget I exist. Ok?" Reggie decided to take one last step to protect his friend.

"Ok? I guess. Mind telling me what's up?" Kiara had a confused and concerned face.

"No. Just trust me." Reggie started to walk off. Before he could turn away, Kiara quickly hugged him.

"Keep yourself safe. I didn't have many friends growing up. Don't need that list to shrink." Kiara let go, and went up the hall way to her next stop.

"No promises." Reggie turned the other way to continue his good deed for the day.


	30. Remember Who the Boss is.

"Sir. Storm is waiting in your office. I may wish to add the observation that scans indicate extreme displeasure. It would appear Storm and her brother have a similar way of handling anger." The red lighted robot floated at the door.

"That you Natasha." The man opened the door. Inside Storm looked ready to turn similarly explosive to Edwin's mood. "It's kind of funny. I just dealt with your brother about similar feelings. Only a few hours ago. Difference is, I don't have a remote to control him. I can, however, control you with a few button pushes." The man waved the small little remote tauntingly.

"Why did you recall me? I wasn't done with the twerp. Besides, I owe him a few punches to the face. I wasn't going to kill him. Just prove a point." Storm decided to drop the charge on her body. The last thing she wanted was to get brain fried into doing whatever he wanted.

"I decided it was enough of a fight. We learned what we needed. So, why waste time prolonging the fight. You will have your moment. We may choose not to hold onto his services. If that's the case, we will hand Edwin over to you for your enjoyment. We may make you two fight again. Winner stays with us. Loser. . ." The man let the sentence trail off. His point was made.

"I won't lose to that pip squeak. That last fight was far from over." Storm stood defiant to the idea of losing to her brother.

"What he lacks in raw power he makes up for with thinking. You act too much on feeling. Blind instinct. He actually uses his brain to plan. What's more, Edwin possesses a protective instinct. The team matters to him more than his own safety. The irony of the situation. He turned into a wolf when angry. A pack animal. You wear a cat skull. A cougar. A solo hunter. Only looks out for one’s self. Let that fact stick in your mind for a while." The man stood there calm as ever, knowing exactly what Storm hated to admit.

"I get it. But just remember. You picked me for my ability to work alone effectively. Why ruin a perfectly good system?" Storm smiled playing the game right back. She knew the man would win no matter what. But at least she could leave her two cents also.

"Noted. My point in all of this is to remind you who is in charge. You questioned my authority about leaving the fight, and you seem to want to take charge right now with this meeting. I thought you should be reminded of the chain of command." The man let the words come out with a touch of anger.

"Yes sir. I hear you loud and clear." Storm sat down on the desk trying to play the innocent angel they both knew she wasn't.

"If that is all, I would ask you to leave. I have work to take care of. Not to mention you should leave. If anyone on the team finds out you're still around, or that we are working together, things will go very bad very quickly." The man moved over to the desk. "Natasha, please show Storm the door."

"Yes sir." The little red light floated towards the door.

"Oh, one more thing. Try to show a little positive feeling towards Edwin. He is your brother. Jasmin." The man let the word out knowing it was just salt on the wound.

"My name is Storm." She whispered under her breath as she walked out the door. "Looks like the apple falls pretty much straight down from this tree."


	31. Change in plans.

"Change of plans. I want you out in the city today. Natasha will send you coordinates. Tell you where to go. Expect a few more members. Find a way to separate them and deal with Edwin. I want to give you a second chance. And this time, when you leave, take your mask off." The man spoke over the radio clearly planning something big.

"Yes sir. Finally get to mess with the wimp." Storm responded over the radio. Clearly happy to mess with Edwin any day of the week.

"Hopefully you won't be so surprised by his ability. Just make sure to take care of the other two members before getting into a serious fight." The man gave his final orders over the radio. Storm quickly moved towards the designated area. Her small street bike made its way around the city scape quickly. Easy to hide, fast to move, just dangerous enough to be an adrenaline rush. This time that twerp won't know what's going on.

* * *

* * *

* * *

"So, it's guy’s night out huh? The three of us shmucks out on the street while the girls party over love lives." Reggie pretended to complain about the "unfair" situation. He didn't feel left out being the only single guy of the group. "You guys are opening a can of super powered worms. If they get angry at you, you get burned, and you drown. Have fun guys."

"Yeah, well, I can always heal the burns. Edwin give a quick jolt and disable Alayna long enough to run away. So I think we're fine." Damien smiled. Reggie was not going to rain on the parade. Not even patrol while the girls celebrated. Edwin looked eager to get out.

"Turns out having a broken rib for a week and a half sucks. Even with using electricity to heal faster doesn't make it much better. No quick fix energy." Edwin was antsy to get out of the factory. Despite his own new found love, sitting and waiting did not sit well. Having the attention from Alayna was nice, but even new love has limits. Turns out being nursed from sickness can make you feel like eyes are watching you all the time. Something Edwin did not go for.

"Well, let's get down by this old factory. The sooner we do our rounds, the sooner we get back. The sooner we get back, the sooner we can be party crashers!" Reggie let go of the wheel of the van, which still tended to veer to the right every once and awhile.

"Reggie! Grab the wheel! We're going into the ditch!" Edwin yelled out trying to reach over and grab the steering wheel to fix the path.

"You idiot. You know I haven't fixed the steering yet. Why did you let go?" Damien yelled from the middle seat, looking ready to open the door and jump out.

"Um . . . excited? At least we're here now." Reggie grabbed the steering wheel tightly and made sure to keep his eyes on the road.

"Yeah, well Damien gets to drive us home. You get back seat on the way home." Edwin gave Reggie a look like a parent disciplining a child. "Well, we arrived. Let's start the rounds." The trio exited the van and started to plan it out. Suddenly a loud crack drew their attention. "Reggie, what did you do?"

"Nothing. I swear I'm not screwing around." Reggie looked defensively at Edwin and Damien .

"Well, someone should check it out." Damien stood by the van, as if he expected something to happen. Suddenly another sharp crack rang through the air.

"Holy. . ." Damien let out feeling the small projectile wiz past. "What was that?"

"Electrical. Used a pebble. I think I know who's around. Storm." Edwin started 'feeling' around for the high electrical signature another electric reaver would make. "She's smart. Not using her powers while we are looking. Damien , what's the damage on the car?"

"Well, I can work some patches. Will take about half an hour. Think you can keep her off my ass that long?" Damien looked grim popping the hood observing the damage. Only hoses and such. Easy enough to plug up until they get back.

"Reggie and I will try to find her. Don't fight her on your own if possible. And don't let her hit you guys. She will do a number on anyone who isn't electric proof." Edwin quickly gave the order recalling the fight. She hurt even Edwin with the strength of her charge. Who knows what would happen to anyone who didn't have electrical resistance.

"Keeping that in mind, how do you plan to find her?" Reggie started looking around concerned. From what he heard of Edwin's fight, Storm was going to be a thorn in their side if she kept coming around.

"How do you know we are here? This time I will get my answer for the tree the apple fell from." Edwin whispered under his breath.

"What tree?" Damien looked at Edwin, hearing his comment.

"Never mind. Get the car fixed. We'll be looking." Edwin quickly shut that conversation down. Here was not the place to deal with questions. "Reggie, stick close. I'll be feeling for her. Be my eyes."

"Got it sir. Fancy a hunting trip?" Reggie smiled being out in the field. Despite the danger, he certainly didn't want to pass up the fun involved.

"Shall we? I think we shall." Edwin tried to keep a good mood. Last thing he wanted to do was project his feelings about the whole situation.

"Let me try this." Reggie started grabbing rocks. Placing them carefully in the sling on his arm, he started launching them around. Edwin heard the tink tink tink of rocks hitting around the factory yard. "Well, if she's out there, she isn't biting." Suddenly the loud crack sounded as a pebble shot between the pair.

"Watch yourself. Her power makes her hit harder. Apparently that includes throwing pebbles." Edwin looked grim at the concrete wall with a small rock embedded in it. "Try to stay low. I think I got an idea of where she is."

"I plan to stay low. You sure we should be getting close to her?" Reggie started to feel concerned with the plan. If getting punched was a bad idea, then getting close seemed equally as bad.

"I think I might be able to shock her. Same way she could shock me. Here's hoping." Edwin started to run down the long path. Reggie followed close behind, wanting to make sure Edwin didn't get in over his head. Suddenly Storm dropped from a roof between the pair. Before either could react, she tripped up Edwin and caught Reggie by the throat.

"Now that's disappointing. So close to finding me. Still couldn't save your friend. Here's my deal. This little guy goes back to the van and leaves this to the adults. If so, I won't kill him, you, and Damien . If you don't agree to a rematch, or if the little guy gets in the way, I have a button right here. I push this, and the whole place goes up in a bang. Deal?" Storm started to wave the remote around with too much of a smile on her face for anyone's good.

"Reggie. Go back to Damien when she lets go. I got this." Edwin looked Storm straight in the eye. "Don't even question it, that's an order." Reggie dropped gripping his throat. Looking up at Edwin's face told him that an argument won't work.

"Run along little man. I have orders to keep Edwin alive. I'll just give him a nice beating. Like last time." Storm looked at Reggie's concerned face and mocked the way he looked.

"Reggie. Go. And tell Damien to have the repairs ready soon. If I'm not back when he's done, go. No arguments." Edwin had a mental idea of what time Damien would be done. He still had 20 minutes or so to kill. "Shall we dance little kitty cat?"

"Hope you brought your claws boy. I plan to scratch you up. And it won't be such an easy fight. Now that I know what you can do, I'm bringing in the heavy weaponry." Storm stood confident. This time Edwin would not throw her off so quickly. Before Edwin could position himself, Storm kicked off into a forward flip. Her heel landed squarely on top of where Edwin's head had been. Edwin had expected the rush attack and jumped back. As soon as Storm landed Edwin swung his right arm up at her chin. She quickly tipped her head back, but her cheek got cut a good two inches. Luckily for her the mask stopped Edwin's blade point from getting any higher.

"Stupid boy. That scratch will cost you. Hope you like scares." Strom rushed at Edwin, then dropped down for a sweep. Edwin dropped to a knee and planted his gauntlet arm across his leg. The resulting electrified kick gave a slight sting, but provided the moment Edwin was looking for. He quickly grabbed Storm's leg and sent as much of a pulse as he could gather in a quick moment to jolt Storm's leg.

"What's the matter? Forgot what a shock feels like?" Edwin taunted Storm who was recovering from the stinging pain her leg was giving her. Not deterred by a little hurt, Storm quickly jumped into a quick few punches. Edwin ducked and sidestepped the punches, and returned a few attempts himself. Neither could land a hit yet. Edwin decided to jump back and try throwing a few bolts her way. Storm dodged the first and second without effort. The third caught her off guard though. Striking right on the shoulder, her attempt to run forwards tripped up and landed just shy of Edwin's leg. Edwin went for a swift crushing punch on Storms back. Before the strike landed, Storm flipped into a forward roll in Edwin's chest. The hit knocked him off his feet and onto his back.

"Got you down this time." Storm pinned Edwin down between her legs on top of his shoulders. Edwin took the fall as a moment to build up a charge, and sent out a pulse into Storm. She flinched just enough for Edwin to roll her over and reverse positions.

"Now. Time for some questions answered. First off. What tree does the apple not fall from? What do you know about my parents?" Edwin made sure Storm had no wiggle room. Last thing he wanted was to lose this advantage.

"You want and answer. Take my mask off. But if you do, you may not like what you see." Storm had a smug smile on her face while Edwin debated the possible fate. Without much thinking, he lifted the cat skull off. Underneath, the blue eyes stared back, from a face he never thought he would see again.

"Jasmin? What are you doing fighting me?" Edwin started to waver a little, enough to give Storm the opening she needed. Quickly flipping Edwin off, Storm ran off. Before Edwin could react, Storm left one last sentence to hang.

"You want answers. Ask your boss." Storm let out a laugh as she ducked out of the factory field.

"Edwin. What happened? I heard her run off and came back to check it out. What happened?" Reggie came around the corner as Edwin turned towards the van.

"We need to leave. Now. How's the van?" Edwin ran out towards Reggie and Damien , who showed up right behind Reggie.

"It's ready. Just finished. Wasn't about to leave you behind. Care to explain all that?" Damien looked at Edwin with a questioning look.

"Not here. Back at the base. This time we get answers from 'The Stranger'. No dodging the subject." Edwin walked out towards the van and signaled the others to follow in tow. "Change in plans. I'm driving. Hope it holds up to me. Eloise is going to flip a lid when she hears who's in town, and who is a reaver." Edwin, Reggie, and Damien loaded up in the van and headed back, ready for some real answers.


	32. Where darkness won't go.

"So. Any clue where the boys are off to in such a hurry?" Alice asked the question seeing the trio load up in the van. She knew the boys had patrol, but never thought they would be so quick to go out in the field.

"They are probably hoping to get back soon enough to be part of the party. They expect us to have enough food and good times to share with them." Eloise smiled imagining the look on their faces when the girls said all the food was gone and it was bed time.

"Well, maybe we can save them the bottom of the bag of chips. Watch them fight over a few Fritos." Alayna joined the girl’s conversation after returning from the med bay. She wanted to make sure everything was ready for use in case something happened.

"Back already worry wart?" Eloise commented. While she was concerned for the patrol, seeing how so far no one had a good record of coming back without a scratch, Eloise was more apt to hide the feeling.

"I just think being prepared is important. A few minutes could save someone's life." Alayna replied honestly. Being more open to show concern was part of what made Alayna the better care taker of the three girls. She had even begun learning to heal some minor scrapes and bruises with her water, even on other people.

"I say we get the party started before I have to separate you two. I don't think you want to spend the afternoon in a pair of boxes made of light do you?" Alice threatened to put both girls in timeout. Turns out making physical objects no one could touch was rather useful when separating sections of the room. Or battlefield she hoped.

"Alright. Well, I hope I got things ready in vain." Alayna stood there watching the van pull out of the garage. As the girls settled in their room, the festivities quickly picked up. Tinker Bell had offered to be on radio duty, and didn't expect to hear much. The boys had all left them off during the ride and preferred to use them as emergency call ins. Instead of general communication with the factory.

"I'm sure it will be fine. Come on. Let's go to our room. Get the celebratory activities going?" Eloise led the group to the bed room where the radio was lying in wait. Food bowls were laid out ready to hold whatever snacks the girls opened up. And the bottles of pop, juice, and tea took up a whole fridge space. The girls started to enjoy life when the question finally made it out.

"So. Alice, what about you? You're the only single girly in our gang. You and Reggie? Eh?" Eloise wasn't thinking quite clearly. The sugar rush was starting to make her a little loose with her lips.

"No. I don't see it. Not my type. Not to mention he doesn't come off as looking for a girl. Maybe just caught up in the party to slow down with anyone." Alice blushed at the thought. Any boy who was interested in her was in for a surprise. 'You like to listen to classical music? You play what instrument? You like books over movies?' "How did you two click Eloise? It seems like you two just kind of decided all of a sudden."

"Well, don't tell Edwin, but I thought Damien was kind of cute when we found him. We started talking some. One thing led to another. Suddenly we both realized the feeling was mutual." Eloise still smiled at the thought of keeping it a secret from Edwin. Big brother wasn't quite as astute as he thought. "Now it's Alayna's turn."

"Well, waking up in the arms of some guy who figured out how to beat you, saved your life, and seems crazy loyal. What more could a girl ask for?" Alayna felt a little foolish for falling in love with a guy who seemed oblivious to the idea.

"Well, I think Edwin got lucky he wised up real quick to things. Definitely would have been passing up a great chance with an amazing lady." Alice was happy for both girls. She knew if the right guy came along, it would happen. The girls settled into a party mood, music loud and proud. Snacks in every bowl in the room. They almost didn't notice Tinker Bell first coming into the room. Thought she was some light show. When Eloise finally noticed, she killed the radio and asked what was up.

"We have a problem. The boys are in trouble. Storm was at the factory yard they patrolled. Edwin is fighting her right now, Reggie and Damien are both repairing the van. What's worse is we seem to have another problem in the making. Several hostile looking men are approaching the front door. 'The Stranger' is not here at them time. Business meeting. We appear to be on our own. The very concerning part is they appear to have our weapons and gear." Tinker Bell had a legitimately scared tone in her voice.

"Care to explain that one to me?" Alayna posed the question.

"Military gear. 'The Stranger' is a military weapon research and production CEO. The men approaching us are suited up in some of our new nano fiber suits. Brand new multi ammo caliber rifles. 9mm. .45 caliber. Sleeping darts. Not to mention advanced helmet complete with HUD to stream information about current targets. In other words, extremely deadly." Tinker Bell gave the most fear filled voice her voice could produce.

"Ladies. Let's dance." Eloise quickly jumped out the door, dashed down the hall with both others close behind. The trio just barely got geared up when the sound of boots rushing down the hall started to ring out.

"Looks like we have company. Excuse me while I give us some privacy." Alice quickly threw up a wall of light to block the door way. The men started to fire what sounded like the larger caliber rounds at the wall. "I would like to mention that each of those shells is slowly draining energy. So plans being made quickly would be suggested."

"On my cue. Alayna, get the ice ready. Three on the right. I'll get the four on the left. Alice, run mop up in the middle. Don't break the wall. Shove it forward." Eloise quickly took lead role in Edwin's current leave.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Alayna let out one last concerned comment while getting the ice spikes ready.

"Alice, ready to clear the door? And. . . . NOW!" Eloise gave out the order, and suddenly the world slowed down to a crawl. It seemed forever before Alice's wall of light started moving forward. When it seemed to break the door and hit the three guards in the path, everything seemed to blur. Alayna got an opening first, and took a step forward using her arms to direct the five shards at the three guards. Pinned two of them on the shoulders, and nailed the final guard straight in the chest. Eloise found her moment half way through Alayna's assault. With one fluid motion on a perfect left hook she sent out a fire ball towards the lead guard. As the wall moved forward, the next two came into view. A right hook and a left punch send the next two fireballs out. The forth guard was in view, and Eloise gave a swift round kick, sending a small wave of fire out.

"Show off." Alayna smiled, seeing all the training had paid off.

"Virituim Fracto. Power broken. What's that about?" Eloise looked at one of the bodies pinned on the wall by Alice's ice shards.

"That's the company 'The Stranger' runs." Tinker Bell floated by the trio and looked at the guard. "Strange. There is a new patch here. F.E.A.R. Not sure what it's for."

"Well, whatever it's for, they mean business." Alayna looked over the carnage. The guards caught by the wall of light Alice made looked like they had the world’s worst sun burn ever. Even the gear seemed burnt rather heavily.

"We need to warn Edwin and crew. Tell them what's going on." Alice started to head down the hall, followed by the others.

"What do we tell them? Edwin's fighting Storm, Reggie and Damien are trying to fix the van. If Storm overhears Edwin's ear piece, she might come here. Not to mention that's IF his ear piece is working right now." Eloise was trying to figure out how to work the situation. Guards wearing gear from 'The Stranger's' company. Storm making another appearance. Something smelled fishy here.

"At the very least, they need to know what they might be getting into. Tinker Bell, how many guards are there in here?" Alayna was wondering what they were up against.

"Last time I was watching the monitors, about 20. And you took out 11 back there. So approximately nine remain." Tinker Bell then began to talk about several factors that could result in more men being inside the building when something startling occurred. The familiar blue light faded out. The shell still floated there. The machinery just seemed to stop working. Suddenly a bright red light took its place.

"Tinker Bell? Hello? You there?" Eloise had a horrible feeling in her stomach. Suddenly the little robot started to whirl again, like it was thinking.

"Natasha successfully booted up." Was all that came out before it floated away as if on a mission. Suddenly the nine guards could be heard running down the hall.

"Guys. Get in the room there. I have a plan." Alice suddenly seemed to tense. The stress was starting to make her feel uneasy with her powers.

"What are you planning?" Eloise was moving towards the door when she felt the need to ask if Alice had a plan.

"Exploding. Don't know why. That's the best word I can come up with at the moment." Alice just nodded at the pair as they ducked away in the room right there. When the guards rounded the hall way corner, Alice was waiting for them. "Hello boys. Looking for me?" Alice suddenly started glowing from all the light she gathered.

"Are you here to surrender?" One of the guards asked, confusion in his voice.

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same. To think, you would have gotten away with it to, if it hadn't been for us meddlesome girls and our pesky powers." Alice smiled as the rush of energy inside came flowing out. The light she was holding on to unleashed in a torrent like a bubble. All the while her screams could be heard. Whether it was from pain, stress, or just excitement, not even Alice knew. But it felt good. To let it all out. To just let the dark fear her.

"Is it safe now? Is that why you stopped yelling like a murderous animal thirsty for blood?" Alayna quietly asked out the door.

"Yeah. I made my mess. I'm good now." Alice replied as she looked at her work. There were no guards. There were no suits. Just dust. Ash. Finely powdered and sooty.

"What the. . ." Damien stumbled in the room confused as to if he entered the factory or a crematorium.

"Where is Edwin and Reggie?" Eloise asked the question with concern in her voice enough for the other girls wondering the question.

"Right here. Trying to keep this guy from having a nervous breakdown. He got in the van, we started to head here when he told Damien to take the wheel. Now he keeps mumbling something over and over. Something about Storm and another name. Jacklyn. Jaylin." Reggie was trying to keep an eye on Edwin, who had stopped mumbling and just had a look like he saw a ghost.

"Jasmin." Eloise let the name out and everyone made sense of it. Suddenly Edwin fell down to one knee.

"My own sister is working for someone. What's worse, I think I know who. On the side of her body suit I was the name Virituim Fracto. I see the guards have the same cloths. Who owns that company?" Edwin asked the question ready to believe anything at this point.

"'The Stranger'." Alice filled in the final blank to it all.

"Storm works for 'The Stranger'. That's how she knew I would be coming alone, and then the three of us on patrol. Why does he want to kill us?" Edwin realized they had all been played, but he didn't know why.

"Because, you are all a blight. I see the need to remove the infected tissue from the wound. Before it kills the whole body." 'The Stranger' walked up with the small red light robot. "Natasha, please show them how much business we mean right now."

"Yes sir." The robot whirled for a second, then projected video onto the wall next to it. World leaders were shown, agreeing to a petition.

"You see, they just signed over the right to hunt you down. I have governmental control of every single major country in the world. I have the resources of over 25 power houses wanting you gone. And the military equipment to do so. So here is the choice. I hunt you all down, kill you one by one, or make our lives easy. Go to the control room. Inside is a small button. Push it, and the whole building goes. No evidence. No running for your life. Just simple. Maybe your example will lead others to just give in." 'The Stranger' made the offer not expecting them to take it.

"We agree." Edwin quickly took the deal, plans obviously being made already.

"What? We do? Are you crazy?" Eloise grabbed Edwin by the arm and turned him around. The smile on his face said it all. 'Plan in motion. Just agree.'

"Are we really doing this? Just giving in?" Damien was not ready to surrender any time soon.

"Yes. We are." Edwin stopped smiling and looked back at 'The Stranger'. "We will go peacefully. And up in smoke."

"Good. Head towards the room. And if you kill me, I have a dead man switch ready to do the same thing. Once you go inside, I will have a video feed. If you try anything funny, I blow the building. Don't worry. No sound. You can make your sappy goodbyes in peace." 'The Stranger' led them on their way to the room. Once they entered, cameras looked right at them. It seemed all eyes were trained on them.

"Guy's. I have a crazy idea. It will take complete and total faith. He is going to board a helicopter, and fly off.  Once he does so, a feed with show up on that screen. Once it does, I will press the button. When I do, I need you to make a fireball big enough to produce a lot of light. I will be making sparks also. Alice, take in as much light as you can right now. Store it up. We are going to need it. I need you to make a bubble. Just big enough to protect us all. Can you do that?" Edwin quickly got down to things once the plan was laid out.

"Um . . . you mean to stop the explosion?" Alice had a bad feeling about the plan.

"Trust him. We will make all the light you may need." Eloise knew it was crazy, but if they died, then living wasn't worth it. If they weren't strong enough for this moment, they had no hope to run.

"Before I push the button, I will cause a glitch in the cameras. It will loop a very small portion. We will have maybe five seconds to get it together. Alayna, can you make an ice wall outside the bubble?" Edwin had backups to the plan.

"Yeah. I think. How much ice." Alayna replied with growing confidence.

"As much as you can make. And try to keep it froze as long as you can. Hold it out if you can." Edwin looked at the group and knew this would work. It had to work.

"Are you all ready?" 'The Stranger's' face showed up on camera.

"Yes. We are. Give us a few seconds. You will get the signal soon." Edwin looked back and closed his eyes. Working the camera glitch was no easy task, but their lives depended on it. Alice quickly drew in all the light she could, built a wall and kept absorbing. Eloise made a fire just big enough to make light without burning them all. Alayna got to work making a thick ice wall around the glowing protection. "Ready? Now." Edwin pushed the button, and time slowed to a crawl. The fireball outside the wall made it all the stronger. The ice seemed to magnify the light into more energy than Alice had ever played with. It seemed like forever before it died out. Seconds became minutes in Edwin's mind. Then it was gone. Nothing. Just the ice and light holding strong. Alayna burst the ice wall and Alice let go of her construct. The destruction was true. Final. Complete. Nothing remained except where the shield was made.

"What the hell. . ." Damien was the first to break the silence. The man who held death in his hands couldn't believe what he saw. Ash rained down from the explosion, the force of the blast.

"That's it? We just let our home explode?" Reggie couldn't believe it all happened. In seconds the world was gone. They no longer existed.

"We just exploded. Now we can hide. No threat of death. No being hunted. We are officially dead. Now we have to keep our cover up. We can't work under our names. We have to split up. If we stick together, we become each other’s biggest threat. Remember how we talked about bugging out if things went south? This is our moment." Edwin was not going to let the group fall to pieces in front of him.

"We have to scatter to the wind like ash." Alayna let the words hang like the powder around them.

"I'm going to Oregon. Mt. Hood." Eloise pictured the volcano life she chose as her emergency life.

"New Orleans. Swamp and death." Damien followed, wondering what the distance would do to the new relationship.

"Los Angeles. Water, sunshine, humidity. What more could I ask for?" Alayna pictured the weather there and hoped it was raining.

"Iron Mountain. Caves a plenty. Far enough north in the forest for shadows there too." Reggie imagined spelunking in the U.P.

"Alaska. Aurora Borealis is beautiful, and full of light." Alice hoped it wasn't too cold.

"And like a storm I will wander. I will visit each of you. Travel around. See if I can keep an eye on you guys. Keep communication up. You all know your names." Edwin didn't want to stay still if things went bad. Running wasn't such a bad plan to him. An excuse to travel the world. "We need to remember our names. If you have to hunt, don't show who you are. Hide your identity. Code names only." Edwin made sure everyone remembered.

"Mourner." Eloise thought of one of her favorite bands. The fire wielder took the name of the pyro she adored.

"Siren." Alayna thought back to when Edwin was in a rage. Water was her element.

"Lucida." Alice used the Latin for bright. Smart word, and so true for her power.

"Voodoo." Damien took death to heart. The land of black magic and curses. What could be more appropriate?

"Black Bullet. The shadows will be my gun." Reggie had to add a flare to it all.

"Romulus. Brother Slayer, and son of a she-wolf." Edwin recalled history. The fights with Storm weighed heavily. 'Why do you want to hunt me so eagerly Jasmin?' The only thought Edwin couldn't complete. The life a head was sure to be hard. The stories to be told incredible. But for now, the ash and death was a fitting end to their old lives. The reavers were no longer the fools. Now it was time for the revolution. Now, it was time for the revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a great journey writing this all. Alas, Project: Reaver is now complete. My next section will be collaboration with several other writers. After what I am calling "The Lost Saga" I plan to start book two. Project: Revelation. Make sure to read each character's story in the year between book one and two. This will include a character who appeared part way through the story, but didn't make a huge appearance. I hope this has been as enjoyable to all of you as it was for me. Stay hidden. Stay alive.


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